


Parasite

by rilakumabear



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ
Genre: M/M, Space!AU, Tentacle Porn, dubcon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-05-05 01:43:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5356259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rilakumabear/pseuds/rilakumabear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He pulls up a screen and it flickers on, showing an X-ray of Changmin’s spine. At the base, there’s a white mass that almost resembles an octopus, but without a head. It’s smaller than his fist, but the tentacles, for lack of better word, are wrapped around his spine. He can count almost ten, possibly more.</p><p>“What the fuck,” Changmin chokes out, feeling ill. “What is that?”</p><p>“That,” Yunho says. “Is a parasite. And it’s inside you.”</p><p>-</p><p>Tentacle porn, Space!AU, warning for dubcon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

When he steps back into the ship, Yunho is pointing a gun at him.

“What the fuck?” Changmin snaps, stripping off his suit. “Put that down, you idiot.”

“Move slowly,” Yunho says, calm, but there’s a hard edge to his voice that Changmin has never heard directed at him before.

“Yunho?” he asks, uncertain.

“Hands on your head and walk in front of me.”

“Do as he says.” Changmin realizes that Minho is stood behind the Captain, palms held open in a peaceful gesture.

 _What’s gotten into you?_ Changmin wants to shout, but instead he folds the suit, raises his hands to his head. Heart racing. Maybe something had happened when he was on the field taking samples. Some space alien overlord that attacked them all with a brainwashing gas- If the ship was infected with some mind-control foreign being- if _Yunho_ was infected-

“We’re not going to hurt you,” Minho says, not sounding reassuring at all. “I just need to run a few tests.”

So he was the problem then.

“You think I caught something?” Changmin asks. But that wasn’t quite right. He’d gone out in a full suit and it hadn’t picked up anything unusual or dangerous about the atmospheric levels or the samples. And Yunho and Minho weren’t wearing biohazards suits. “Something dangerous.” It had to be, with Yunho’s gun pointed at the back of his head.

“When you came back, we picked up on levels of-”

“Don’t tell him anything, Minho,” Yunho snarls. “We don’t know what we’re dealing with here.”

So Yunho thought there was a chance that whatever Changmins' picked up, could be controlling him. Could be absorbing information. He shudders.

“God,” Changmin breathes as he’s escorted to the medical wing. Not just the medical wing- the quarantined section. Yunho never put anyone in here unless he thought they were a risk to the rest of the crew- it’d explain why the bustling hallways were completely empty.

“Sorry,” Minho murmurs. “I just need to run a few tests. Couple of scans. Blood samples.”

“I assume Seohyun is monitoring somewhere,” Changmin says. “In case I somehow overpower the two of you.” He cranes his neck to stare into the camera in the corner of the room.

They don’t answer.

He stays silent as Minho extracts blood, pokes and prod him, then finally runs a scanner over him.

“Aha,” Minho murmurs, as he holds the scanner against the base of his spine. “Here it is.”

“Tell me what’s going on, dammit,” Changmin grits out. He stares at Yunho, imploring, but his Captain is still holding the gun straight at him, hand steady. “You gonna shoot me?”

“If I have to,” Yunho replies. “Minho?”

“I’m not really sure,” Minho mutters, tapping away at the scanner. He pulls up a screen and it flickers on, showing an X-ray of Changmin’s spine. At the base, there’s a white mass that almost resembles an octopus, but without a head. It’s smaller than his fist, but the tentacles, for lack of better word, are wrapped around his spine. He can count almost ten, possibly more.

“What the fuck,” Changmin chokes out, feeling ill. “What is that?”

“That,” Yunho says. “Is a parasite. And it’s inside you.”

“What kind?” Changmin asks. His voice sounds a lot more steady than he feels.

“I’m not sure yet,” Minho frowns. “I don’t understand how it got inside. There’s not a cut on you and your suit didn’t report anything. It only showed up on the scanners…”

“Minho,” Yunho says, sharp. “Can you get it out?”

“If it was anywhere else, probably,” Minho mutters. “But if I make an incision I could risk cutting a nerve and paralyzing him.”

“Fuck,” Changmin says weakly. “Can’t you use the transposer?” A device that Yunho himself had invented, a gun-like object that could retrieve a book from inside a locked box, for example, without needing to touch the box at all.

“It won’t work on biological matter,” Yunho cuts in. Changmin wonders if his hand is getting tired.

“So I’m supposed to just leave this thing inside me?” Changmin says. His voice is a little higher pitched than normal.

“Captain,” Seohyun’s voice cuts in over the intercom. “I recommend we take a detour to the nearest rehabilitation centre. We’re not far from Neo-Seoul. They’ll be better equipped to handle this.”

“Good idea,” Yunho replies into the intercom on his wrist. “Set a course, please.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“How long until we get there?” Changmin asks, quiet, as Minho packs up and leaves the room. Yunho walks backwards to the door, gun still steady.

“About two days, I’d estimate.” His voice is cold.

“And you’re going to leave me here by myself?” Changmin asks. He sounds like a scared little child, but he can’t help himself. “Hyung…”

“We don’t know what the parasite is,” Yunho replies. “It could be infecting your brain, make you hurt someone or yourself. I don’t have a choice.”

The implications as terrifying to hear, but Changmin is oddly comforted that the gun pointed at him is nothing more than a precaution. Yunho would never hurt him. Of course he wouldn’t.

“Get some rest,” Yunho says quietly.

He swings the door shut, and Changmin listens to the locks as they’re are twisted into place, then a deafening silence.


	2. Chapter 2

It’s nerve-wracking to be surrounded by the staff at Neo-Seoul’s rehabilitation centre. They prod him and murmur to each other as if he’s some kind of medical experiment- though he supposes in some ways, he is. The cuffs around his wrist are cold and sharp, and Changmin stuffs tissue under the bracelets to stop them tearing into his skin.

“The parasite seems to be growing stronger,” somebody tells him gravely. A live stream of Changmin’s scan is pulled up, and the tentacles seem to be entwining up his spine. “It’s impossible to do surgery at this point.”

“What are my options?” Changmin asks, voice far more steady than he feels.

The doctor looks, for the first time, sympathetic. “There’s a medical wing here that specialises in unique cases and their treatment…”

Changmin’s head snaps up. “You want me to stay here? For how long?”

“Indefinitely,” the doctor replies, looking uncomfortable. “We’ve already contacted your Captain with our analysis-”

“He knows?” Changmin seizes on this bit of information. “Yunho- I mean, the Captain, knows about my medical report? How come he hasn’t come to see me?”

“Well, I’m sure he has plenty of business to attend,” the doctor replies. “We can arrange for your crew members to bring your belongings in from the ship-”

“No,” Changmin snarls. It’s almost alien, this brewing sense of cold fury that sweeps through him. Perhaps it _is_ alien. “I will not stay here. You can’t make me.”

“Mr Shim, I assure you it’s in your best interests,” a nurse offers weakly. “Please calm down-”

Changmin doesn’t quite understand why they all look so terrified.

“Mr Shim!”

“I’m not staying here,” Changmin repeats, standing up. The handcuffs dangle from his wrists, broken. When had that happened? “You can’t force me!”

“Mr Shim- Changmin- please calm down-!”

There’s an earth-shattering crash as the bed is overturned. Changmin snarls, ready to defend himself. He turns, but there’s no one there. The staff have fled the room, echoes of screams still resonating in his ears. Surely they hadn’t been that scared of him? He was angry but outnumbered, after all.

Breathing heavily, Changmin staggers to the door, pushing aside the screen that had been showing the live-feed of his scan. Only this couldn’t be him, this was some monster with tentacles sprawling out like something from the apocalypse-

No. This _is_ him. Changmin turns again. Catches a glimpse of himself in the window reflection.

His chest is heaving, skin dappled with sweat. And behind him, the tentacles sway like reeds caught in a breeze. There’s over two dozen, thicker than his arms, and two thinner ones that caress through his hair, as if trying to comfort him.

“No,” Changmin gasps, tearing at them. They reel back, like they’re _insulted_. “No!”

Frantically, he scrambles through the room, trying to find something- anything- to get them off. The dark blue-green tentacles help lift items around the room, like some kind of friendly but clueless dog trying to help its owner find their lost glasses.

“Get off me!” Changmin screams. He lunges for the door, but the tentacles follow. The glass on the door shatters, and Changmin grabs a shard, ignoring the red that streams from his palms. He drags the shard through one of the tentacles, and screams when he feels the pain, too.

“Changmin!”

But he can’t stop now, not when the tentacles seem to work themselves into a frenzy to remove him from anything sharp. They close around him like a cage, curling round his limbs.

“ _Changmin_!”

He’s screaming and screaming, hands slippery with blood, trapped in between a parasite that grows from his back. Faintly, Changmin can hear somebody shouting his name, but it’s too far away.

He falls, and the tentacles catch him.

*

“- _will be reaching destination in seventeen hours. Please ensure all doors are locked. Oxygen levels set at eighty seven per cent-_ “

Changmin stifles a groan as he wakes. The light is too harsh, and he closes his eyes again. Suddenly, he remembers the tentacles, the blood, the doctors running away from him with screams of terror-

With a shout, he bolts up, chest heaving.

“Changmin? Changmin! It’s alright, you’re safe.”

“Yunho?” Changmin breathes, a sob hitching in his throat as the other man comes to sit beside him, pulling him into a firm embrace. “What happened? Where are we?”

He opens his eyes again, comforted by Yunho’s presence. It’s a small space pod, one designed for escaping in emergency situations. He’s on the bed, and to the side is a bathroom, and a kitchenette/living area. To the front is the control board, where Yunho had been piloting.

“Yunho?” he repeats.

“When you were at the rehabilitation centre,” Yunho begins, sombre. “Do you remember anything?”

Changmin swallows thickly. “A little. The tentacles-”

“They came out of your back. Probably because you were angry and scared. But when you passed out, they just went back in like they had never been there.”

“The parasite’s still in me?” Changmin asks, voice tiny.

Yunho brushes the damp hair away from his forehead. “’Fraid so, cadet. I’m taking you to the rehabilitation centre off the Thebe Gossamer Ring. We have just under a day’s worth of travel.”

“What about the _Cassiopeia_?” Changmin asks, unsure if he really wanted to know.

“Siwon’s looking after her, for now,” Yunho presses a kiss to his cheek. “I have more important things to deal with at the moment.”

“You left the ship? For me?”

Yunho smiles. “We’re just taking a detour, Changminnie.”

Yunho’s always been terrible at lying, but this time Changmin isn’t sure if he’s ready to face the truth yet. “Get some rest, Changmin-ah. There’s food and water if you need it.”

With a last kiss, Yunho leaves him to pilot again. Changmin’s back feels warm, and his hands are roughly bandaged.

The space pod feels far too small.


	3. Chapter 3

“Alright, we’ve entered the Thebe Gossamer Ring,” Yunho announces brightly. “This baby’s all set on auto pilot, so all we have to do is wait.”

Changmin looks up from the safety manual. “Come have some water. You’ve done nothing but pilot for the last ten hours at least.”

Yunho plops down on the chair beside him, chugging down a bottle of water. “Are you feeling better?”

“Uh-huh,” Changmin puts down the manual he had been reading out of sheer boredom. “Don’t you need to sleep?”

“Nah, I’m fine,” Yunho replies, smiling far too widely.

“You’re always so bad at lying,” Changmin sighs. “Yunho, you need to rest!”

“I told you, I’m fine.” God, he could be so stubborn. Changmin traces over the scratches on the table, from whoever had used the space pod last. Yunho watches him silently, ignoring the tension that’s brewing.

“Quite a risk you’re taking here,” Changmin starts lightly. “Being in an enclosed space with a parasite ridden cadet.”

“Space travel always has risks,” Yunho shrugs. “Besides, we’re heading straight for a rehabilitation centre. They’ll get that thing out of you.”

“Like the last one?” Changmin snorts.

“They didn’t know what they were doing,” Yunho replies, a hint of steel in his voice.

“Are you even going to explain why we’re in an emergency space pod?” Changmin shoots back. “I’m not an idiot. I know something happened. And why did you leave _Cassiopeia_?”

“She’s in Siwon’s hands, the ship and the rest of the crew are fine,” Yunho says dismissively. “I told you.”

“Yunho,” Changmin snaps. His face softens. “Just talk to me.”

Yunho sighs, the action seeming to deflate him a little. He scoots closer, takes one of Changmin’s hands. Inspects the bandage.

“When we landed in Neo-Seoul,” he starts. “The Commander was waiting for our ship already. He must have read the medical reports Seohyun had on you.”

“The _Commander_?” Changmin repeats. It was rare for the boss of the shipping company to leave his office at any time.

“I guess he thought you weren’t worth the risk, so he said I was to leave you at the centre and continue with the deliveries we had on board. After all, that’s the thing that funds us in the first place.”

“You said no?” Changmin asks, overwhelmed.

“Of course,” Yunho looks up with a soft smile. “Couldn’t leave behind my favourite.”

Changmin blushes. “Your bias is showing, Captain.”

“I told him you weren’t a risk but then…” he trails off.

“The tentacles came out,” Changmin finishes, the smile on his face fading.

Yunho nods. “Yeah. We heard screams and things crashing about, and I knew it was you. But by the time I got there, the tentacles, they were wrapped around you like a cage.”

“I think I remember,” Changmin shivers. Had they really come from his _back_?

“I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Yunho grips his hand a little harder. “I’ve been all across the galaxy and I’ve seen people infected with parasites but this was totally different. It’s like they were protecting you from yourself.”

“I tried cutting them off,” Changmin explains quietly. “But when I cut into them... it was like I could feel it too. It hurt.”

“The Commander saw it too. He refused to let you back on the ship so I resigned.”

“What!” Changmin yells. “Yunho, no, you can’t do that! You’re the Captain!”

“Not anymore, Siwon is,” Yunho shrugs, far too nonchalant. “Besides, it’s already done.”

“Yunho,” Changmin starts, tearing. “You can’t give it all up for me. Turn the space pod around!”

“I can’t. Even if I go back, technically I stole the space pod, and then I’ll get arrested for thievery and you can’t pilot with a criminal record.”

Changmin stares. “Are you _smiling_ , you idiot?”

“I made my decision, Changmin. I could Captain the biggest ships in the galaxy, I could be the Commander himself and I would still give it all up for you.” Yunho smiles. “It’s worth it.”

“God, you-” Changmin flounders, not knowing what to say.

“This rehab centre we’re going to is the biggest on this side of the galaxy,” Yunho says firmly. “The best brains and the most high tech equipment, I promise.” He leans forward, leans his forehead against Changmin’s. “We’re gonna get that thing out of you, Changmin.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, I was on hiatus for chinese new year \o/

_The truth was Changmin had basically been given the job. He hadn’t applied or taken the proper tests or even trained for space travel. He’d scored so well on his exams that multiple companies had reached out, desperate to recruit him._

_Intelligent enough to pursue any of them, Changmin finally decided on space travel, working as a bio-technician, because, as him mother had put it, “We’ll probably get a bigger discount on space travel, sweetie!”_

_His new Captain hadn’t been impressed._

_With a cold stare, Yunho had introduced him to the rest of the staff, then shoved his new uniform at him._

_“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Yunho had snapped. “Just because you somehow tricked the Commander into giving you this job, doesn’t mean you can sit around on your ass all day.” He pauses, not even trying to cover his irritation. “If you’re joining just to quit later on, I’d rather you do it now then in a few weeks, when we still have days of travel before I can drop you off.”_

_“What an ass,” Changmin had whispered to himself furiously, after Yunho had left. Beside him, Siwon chokes back a laugh._

_“Don’t worry about him. Yunho can be a bit of a slave-driver, but he works harder than the rest of us. Besides,” he grins, “When I joined, he just dumped me in with everyone else to start working. Not all of us get a personal tour.”_

_That should have been the biggest clue, really, but almost a year later, Changmin is still surprised when Yunho crashes into him, lips kissing a bruise on his mouth._

_“Isn’t this against policy, Captain?” Changmin smirks, gasping between kisses._

_“Fuck you,” Yunho growls back, but there’s a gleam of humour in his eyes. “Like you haven’t been teasing me all year-”_

_“I didn’t know you paid so much attention to me,” Changmin widens his eyes in faux innocence. “I’m flattered.”_

_Yunho huffs in annoyance as they struggle out of their uniforms. “Brat.”_

_Changmin had to admit he had a weakness for teasing the other man, but he makes up for it by sinking to his knees and hollowing his cheeks out around Yunho’s thick cock. Breathing sharply through his nostrils, he glances up, moaning around the heat of his Captain, Yunho urging him on with sweet, small thrusts._

_“Fuck- Changmin,” Yunho gasps, mouth open. “I’m too close-” He bites back a shout, hand gripping Changmin’s head in a half-hearted attempt to pull him off. Changmin growls, fingers digging into Yunho’s thighs as he starts to come, head falling back. His Captain was willing to give him everything, and Changmin would take it all._

_*_

Changmin gasps awake, feeling warm all over. He can almost taste Yunho spilling into his throat, the smell of his musk still heavy in his nose. He sits up, wincing when his cock, hard and weeping, brushes against the fabric of his trousers.

“Changmin?” Yunho sits at the table across from him, hand frozen halfway as he hold a cup of water to his mouth. His eyes flicker, knowing.

“I-I had a dream,” Changmin murmurs, distracted. Yunho’s face is like stone, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Yunho nods. “Just... take a few deep breaths, okay?” His hand is still outstretched for the cup of water, tension holding it out straight. Changmin frowns- there’s something wrong with his body language, and he can’t quite figure it out. “Calm down.”

“I’m fine, it was just a dream,” Changmin replies. His cock throbs- with the recent memory of his dream, plus the reality of Yunho sitting in front of him, it’s difficult to think about anything else. He needs to get off- and soon. Changmin tries to stand, legs shaking.

The minute movement has Yunho back away from the table in a heartbeat. Changmin stares. “Yunho- what-”

“Slow movements,” Yunho orders. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”

“Yunho, what the fuck-!” Changmin snaps, standing up. He yelps in surprise as pain shoots through his… arm? But that wasn’t right, both his hands were in his line of sight. Realisation dawns, and in horror, he turns and sees the writhing mass of tentacles behind him. One seems to have swung into the bedside wall as he stood up, and is curled away like an animal in pain. “Oh my god,” Changmin whimpers. Instinctively, he tries moving away, but the escape pod is too small and the tentacles seem to be everywhere.

“Don’t move,” Yunho says softly. “Don’t move, Changminnie. If they break the space pod, we have nowhere to go.”

“Help me,” Changmin whispers. A flicker of pain flashes over Yunho’s face, and he nods.

“Talk to me,” Yunho instructs, edging closer. “Tell me something.”

“I- I dreamt about you,” Changmin babbles. He’s too nervous to feel any embarrassment. “When we first slept together. Properly, I mean.”

Yunho blinks in surprise, but continues scooting further. “That was a year after you joined.”

Changmin nods. “Yunho, be careful- don’t come any closer!”

The tentacles sway, coiling at the sound of his voice.

“They respond to you,” Yunho murmurs. “When you’re distressed, they come out like… like they’re trying to protect you or something.”

“But I’m distressed _because_ of them,” Changmin mutters, bitter with irony. “And they came out when I was sleeping.”

“I have a hunch,” Yunho says. “Do you trust me?”

Changmin nods.

“Seohyun said you were likely to experience moodswings- it’s a typical symptom of parasites as your body adjusts to providing for two sentient creatures,” Yunho steps closer still. “Like when you panicked at the rehabilitation centre in Neo-Seoul. The tentacles came out because they sensed their host was in danger so by protecting you, they can protect themselves.”

“But what about just now? I was asleep!”

Yunho lifts an arm, almost touching a tentacle.

“Yunho, don’t,” Changmin breathes. “You don’t know what they’ll do.”

“If my theory is right,” Yunho says slowly. “The tentacles react whenever you feel any strong emotion- like anger and fear,” he pauses. “Or arousal.”

“Oh,” Changmin replies, dumbly. He blushes, suddenly aware that his erection hasn’t waned, and the bulge must be clearly visible for Yunho to see.

“In any heightened state of emotion, the tentacles react because they think there’s something that could harm you, and therefore endanger themselves.”

“That kinda makes sense,” Changmin says slowly. He wills himself to calm down and think clearly. “That’s why they’re not always out- when I’m calm, they stay inside my body because they don’t think I’m in danger.”

“I suppose there’s only one way to find out,” Yunho says. His hand, just centimetres from the nearest tentacle, drops.

“What do you mean?” Changmin asks. If they were going to try out an experiment, the tiny space pod was no place to do it.

“I told you, I had a hunch,” Yunho replies.

It happens before Changmin has any time to react. Yunho dives towards the control board, reaching for the pistol that had been part of his regulation to carry as a Captain. With fluid movements, Yunho stands again, and Changmin feels his heart stutter as the pistol is pointed straight at him.

Yunho fires.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains dubcon.

There’s a brief moment of heat as the bullet passes his cheek, before shooting past him and slamming into the wall.

The tentacles spread out, furious, and reach out to Yunho, lightening quick.

“NO!” Changmin screams, as Yunho’s arms are entangled. The tentacles ignore him and force Yunho against the wall, his arms and legs bound. He cries out as his head cracks against the metal. The pistol clatters to the floor.

“Yunho, what were you thinking!” Changmin staggers forward, trying to pull the tentacles off him. They don’t seem to be doing much else, other than keep Yunho spread eagled and unable to move.

“They won’t hurt me,” Yunho replies, breathless. “Because you don’t see me as a threat, do you see?”

“No, I don’t see,” Changmin snaps. “Yunho, they’re not coming off!”

“Look, when I fired, the parasite thought you were both in danger, but at the same time it recognised that its’ host didn’t view me as a real threat. That’s why I’m just bound here but not in any real danger,” Yunho says all of this very quickly.

“And you couldn’t have tested your theory some other way?” Changmin snarls. Now that the danger has passed, he’s flooded with anger at Yunho’s sheer stupidity, and relief that he’s not hurt.

“Well I couldn’t tell you because the knowledge would have affected your reaction, obviously.” Yunho says mildly.

“Obviously,” Changmin repeats with a derisive snort. He tugs at the tentacles again. “Any theory of yours that can explain why they aren’t budging?”

“Simple,” Yunho says softly. “Because you don’t want them to.”

Changmin falters.

“How long have you been hard for, Changminnie?” Yunho asks, calm.

“That- that’s not-” Changmin flushes. He’s suddenly and intensely aware that Yunho, _Yunho_ , is pressed against the wall in front of him with nowhere to go.

“You told me about your dream as well, remember?” Yunho continues. His eyes flicker down to the almost-painful erection that Changmin’s still sporting. “Need help with that?”

“No.” Changmin makes to back away, face burning, but the tentacles are still wrapped around Yunho, bringing the other man closer to his face as well. “No,” he repeats, hating how Yunho can always tell when he’s lying.

“The parasite seems to respond to strong emotion,” Yunho reminds him. “I don’t think your arousal is going away soon, though.”

“Are you trying to imply,” Changmin says very slowly. “That the tentacles will retract if we sleep together?”

“Worth a try,” Yunho smiles. “Besides, even if it doesn’t work we still get to have some, ah, _fun_ , right?”

“You are so stupidly reckless,” Changmin tells him, amazed. The logical part of his brain is blaring warning signs at how fucking _dumb_ it would be to have sex with flying tentacles in a very enclosed space. Conversely, there’s nothing else he’d rather be doing right now, especially as his dick twitches, eager. _SEX!!!_ His lizard brain screams, joyous. _SEX WITH YUNHO, RIGHT NOW!!_ “How?”

The tentacles loosen their grip- Yunho still isn’t free, but he can move his limbs, the tentacles swaying with him. “See? The parasite’s reacting.”

“This is ridiculous,” Changmin breathes. The tentacles pull Yunho closer to him, until he’s breathing in the same breath that Yunho exhales. “It’s dangerous.”

“We used to work on an airtight metal vessel speeding through the galaxy with hundreds of other people and foreign biological matter,” Yunho reminds him. “Dangerous is what we’re used to.”

“That’s hardly convincing,” Changmin murmurs. His hands reach out, closing the last space between them. Yunho is a solid figure beneath his palms. He’s shorter by an inch or so, but he’s wider and thicker, built with more muscle. Changmin runs his hands over his chest, the part of his body that Yunho used to hate. It’s had taken months before he’d let Changmin worship his chest the way it deserved. Yunho’s breath hitches a little as Changmin works his nipples through his shirt into little nubs, pinching hard the way he likes.

“Changmin,” Yunho murmurs. His eyes are half-lidded.

“You’re gorgeous,” Changmin murmurs. “Kiss me.”

Yunho’s never been very good at denying him anything. He surges forward, tentacles releasing him at last. They press together, warm body heat shared and creating friction. Changmin whines a little- how fucking long had it been since they’d kissed like this? It can’t have been more than a few days, but it feels like a lifetime. He kisses with desperation like a dehydrated man tasting cool, fresh water. Yunho responds perfectly, allowing Changmin to push him against the wall and lifts his thigh so Changmin can straddle it, grinding down.

“Please,” Changmin begs. He’s been burning with a low level of arousal since he woke up. Now that he’s not distracted by anything else, all he can focus on is Yunho in his arms. They struggle out of their clothing, Changmin’s shirt getting stretched and ripped when they try and pull it over the tentacles. They twine around Yunho possessively, wrapping up like legs like vines.

“Changmin, wait,” Yunho murmurs, trying to twist away from them. Changmin whines, head foggy with lust. He pants with exertion as he pulls away reluctantly. The tentacles are twisted all around Yunho’s body, the two smaller feelers edging closer to his cock. “Try and calm down- let’s do tis slowly. We still have to be cautious.”

“Yunho, I can _feel_ them,” Changmin blurts out. The two feelers twist around Yunho’s cock, sliding with slight pressure. He can feel the way Yunho’s cock twitches in their grip, the way his balls tighten with pleasure.

“Shit,” Yunho gasps. “Fuck!” His head tilts back for a second, and Changmin leans forward to nip at his neck, unable to resist.

“Wait, Changmin-ah,” Yunho gasps. “Wait!”

There’s another tentacle that snakes behind Yunho, rubbing lightly against his crack. The other tentacles work together and lift Yunho into the air, bringing his knees up but supporting his back so he’s left with his hole exposed to Changmin.

“Changmin, stop,” Yunho gasps. There’s a strange expression on his face- half fear and half arousal.

“I can’t control them, you know I can’t,” Changmin says. He feels like he’s in a daze. There’s only one thing he wants right now, and that’s release. “I thought you wanted this.”

“I want _you_ ,” Yunho says. “Not the parasite. Just… calm down. Can you do that?”

“I can’t control them, hyung,” Changmin repeats. Another tentacle twines up Yunho’s leg, probing at his hole. “They won’t hurt you.”

“It’s wet,” Yunho yelps as the tentacle slides excitedly around his crack. “Fuck, why is it wet?”

“Self-lubricating,” Changmin murmurs, almost to himself. “Interesting.”

The tentacle slips inside, dripping it’s secretions to the floor. It fucks Yunho open, leaving the older man groaning in pleasure. More tentacles join in now, the two feelers leaving his cock to curl around his nipples and squeezing. They’re replaced by more tentacles that twist around his cock, pulling until it’s red and leaking with precome.

“Fuck, Changmin,” Yunho struggles to open his eyes. “The secretions- we don’t know what it’s made of!”

“They won’t hurt you,” Changmin repeats. He’s not sure why he’s so certain, but there doesn’t seem to be any room for doubt. “They’re just helping me.”

The tentacles take turn fucking his hole- as one pulls out, another pushes in, causing the secretions to squelch lewdly. Yunho cries out, overcome by the pleasure. He rocks his body, squirming to get away, but he’s too tightly bound. Mesmerised, Changmin slowly jerks himself off, moaning with pleasure. He can feel the tentacles pounding into Yunho, can feel the tentacles that are holding him in place, the feelers working over his nipples. All of Yunho’s pleasure is plain for him to dictate, and he feels one tentacle curl, pressing directly against Yunho’s prostate each time it pounds into him.

“Oh, God, Changmin,” Yunho gasps. His body is flushed red, sweat dappled across his forehead and making his hair stick. “S-stop!”

“I can’t,” Changmin says. The tentacles fuck faster, pumping in and out of Yunho’s hole without a sign of tiredness. The view is incredible: Yunho is held up in the air in front of him, wrists bound and forced above his head. His torso is crossed with the tentacles, which have raised sucker-like appendages that leave marks that look like love bites. The two thinner feelers are twisted around a nipple each, pinching and flicking over the nubs just the way Yunho likes. His legs, bound tightly by the tentacles, are lifted so his knees are almost bent back against his chest, muscles bulging. Another two tentacles are wrapped possessively around his cock, working over the length and his balls enough to make the tip weep with precome, but keeping a tight grip at the base so he can’t come, not just yet. The position leaves his hole exposed and open for the rest of the tentacles to take turns fucking him hard.

“Changmin, please,” Yunho cries out. His voice is raw and hoarse from moaning. “I’m so fucking close.”

“Oh, Yunho,” Changmin breathes. He works his hands faster over his cock, groaning. “Fuck, you look so good, so fucking good-”

“Close,” Yunho gasps. “Please- please, I fucking need your cock!”

A strangled cry of lust escapes Changmin’s lips. He surges forward, and the tentacles fucking Yunho stop obediently, allowing Changmin to push his cock in where it belongs. The tight heat is achingly familiar, sheathing his cock to the hilt.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Yunho cries. Changmin doesn’t think he’s ever seen the other man so aroused before. But then again, he’s never been able to stimulate him in so many areas at once. “I’m so close, Changminnie, so fucking close.” Tears roll freely down the side of his face, the pleasure almost too much to take.

Changmin snaps his hips faster, feeling his own release approaching. “Yunho,” he cries out. The tentacles lift Yunho a little higher, the ideal angle for Changmin to aim directly at his prostate.

Yunho whines, unable to form any coherent words any more. Instead, little pants manage to escape him, head lolling back. He’s completely boneless, reliant entirely on the tentacles that hold him up. Maybe it’s the image of his complete submission to the pleasure, or the fact that he’s so broken down, but it’s enough to tip Changmin over the edge.

He bites down on his lip as he comes, spurting hot seed into Yunho’s hole. His body shakes, but the tentacles remain steadfast in holding Yunho up. The tentacles around his cock release the tight grip they have and Yunho opens his mouth in a silent scream as he comes and comes and _comes_.

“Oh my God,” Changmin pants, splaying his hands over Yunho’s heaving chest. He runs his hands through the puddle of cooling come, amazed. “You really fucking came.”

The tentacles quiver in pleasure, slowly lowering Yunho to the floor. They’re exceedingly gentle, a stark contrast to the primal way they had been fucking him just moments before. And just like Yunho had hypothesized, they retract back into his back, leaving Changmin to lay on top of Yunho on the floor of the space pod. “Are you alright?”

Yunho huffs a breathless laugh, bringing his arms up to hold him close. “More than alright, I’d say.”

“You were right,” Changmin murmurs, burying his face into Yunho’s neck. “The parasite’s retracted its’ tentacles.”

Yunho doesn’t say anything, but his hands stroke slowly over his lower back.

“Yunho,” Changmin murmurs. Now that he’s able to think more clearly, a slow burn of guilt builds in his gut. He’s not sure if he’s able to really face it, but Yunho deserves it. “Before- you asked me to slow down. To stop.”

“Don’t,” Yunho replies softly. “Don’t do that to yourself. If you knew I really meant it, you would have stopped.”

“The parasite might not think the same,” Changmin whispers. The implications of this thought is terrifying.

Yunho doesn’t reply, but his body is relaxed, hugging him close in a comforting manner. He inhales, about to say something, but the space pod interrupts.

_You have now arrived at your destination. Location: Thebe Gossamer Ring Rehabilitation Centre._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading <3


	6. Chapter 6

Their doctor is a tiny woman no taller than five feet. Her hair is pulled into a professional-looking low ponytail, and a name tag reads _Doctor Kwon_ , followed by a series of acronyms that show off her qualified knowledge. Currently, she’s frowning, attention divided between Changmin’s medical chart and the live feed of the x-ray.

The parasite has grown since its first discovery on the _Cassiopeia_. Just a few days ago it had been no larger than the size of a clenched fist, now it’s a writhing mass of tentacles that entangle around Changmin’s spine, from coccyx to the nape of his neck. The tentacles swirl languidly in the x-ray, unbothered.

“ _Translimitanus Crinis,_ ” Doctor Kwon says eventually.

“Is that the name of the parasite?” Yunho asks, Changmin’s hand clenched tightly in his own.

“Not quite,” Doctor Kwon puts down the chart. “It’s more of an umbrella term for parasites with multiple appendages such as this. I can’t identify the type you have, Mr Shim, but it seems benign.”

“Benign?” Changmin snaps. “That thing burst out of me _twice_!”

“Benign, by medical definition, yes,” Doctor Kwon continues calmly, unfazed by his outburst. “It’s not feeding off you in any way, and your medical chart shows no change in your immunity.”

“So it’s just…there?” Yunho is bemused. “That doesn’t make any sense. What kind of parasite does that?”

“It’s not entirely benign,” Changmin interrupts fiercely. “The tentacles came out of me. The first time, I tried to cut them off,” he continues. “But it hurt, like it was part of me.”

“The parasite is fusing to you,” Doctor Kwon tells him with a frown. “This is going to make things more difficult.”

He shivers, automatically squeezing Yunho’s hand. “After I tried to cut them off, they just sort of… enveloped me in a cage. So I couldn’t fight them. But they weren’t hurting me.”

“We have a theory,” Yunho cuts in. “The parasite wants to protect its’ host because its’ survival relies entirely on Changmin. So it reacts when Changmin’s stressed out or scared.”

“Interesting,” Doctor Kwon says thoughtfully. “And what’s your diet been like lately, Mr Shim? Eating well?”

“I’ve just been on rations since I was infected,” Changmin mutters, scrubbing the back of his hand across his eyes.

“It’s possible the parasite hasn’t reached its full strength yet,” Doctor Kwon warns. “And it’s still relatively young, though parasites are known to reach maturity quickly.”

“God,” Yunho whispers, heart clenching. How much bigger would the parasite grow? It was already stretched along Changmin’s spine, would it overtake him completely? It’s a horrifying thought, and Yunho forces himself to quash it immediately. Changmin was already worried enough as it is, there was no reason for him to add to it. But against his will, a frisson of lusts shivers through him, remembering the primal way the tentacles had fucked him, when they weren’t even at their strongest.

“Can you get it out of me?” Changmin asks instead, voice shaking. Doctor Kwon sighs, shaking her head.

“It’s impossible. I can’t perform surgery because it’s entangled in your spine- at this stage, the slightest slip could paralyze or kill you. And we can’t kill it because it would rot and fester inside you.”

Changmin sags at the news, pressing his face into Yunho’s shoulder.

“What about medication?” Yunho asks, determined. “Suppressants of some kind to weaken it?”

“We would have to know the exact type of parasite this is,” Doctor Kwon refutes gently. “If we risk giving Mr Shim the wrong medication, it could affect his auto-immune system- a simple cold could kill him.”

Yunho swallows thickly, wrapping his arms protectively around the younger man. Ironic, he thought, that he should try and keep Changmin safe within his arms when the parasite was there, too.

“It isn’t all bad news,” Doctor Kwon adds encouragingly. “Like I mentioned, it seems benign, though you’ll have to stay for at least a few more days for observation.”

“So we just leave it inside me?” Changmin asks weakly.

“For the time being,” Doctor Kwon replies. “I’ll give you a logbook so you can note down and of your own observations.” She rummages around in her desk drawer, pulling out a simple notebook. “Make sure to include the date and time as well. I’m most interested in the tentacles coming out of you, though.”

“Since the parasite is still young and you haven’t eaten much in the past few days, it’s likely that it’ll get stronger with you as your health improves,” she continues. “The same goes with your mental health. If you’re constantly stressed, I think it’s likely that the parasite will react accordingly.”

Changmin’s eyes widen, fingers stroking over the notepad.

“Can you tell me about the second time the tentacles came out?” Doctor Kwon asks. She raises her eyebrows as they blush. “Something wrong?”

“Uh,” Yunho starts awkwardly. “Before we got here, Changmin had a dream about me.”

“Is this relevant?” Doctor Kwon says, unimpressed.

“A sex dream,” Changmin sighs. Might as well get it all out. “When I woke up, the tentacles were out and didn’t go back in until we had sex.”

“The tentacles seem to secrete some kind of fluid when Changmin is, uh… sexually aroused.” Beside him, Changmin squirms at the private topic.

Doctor Kwon raises her eyebrows, but remains calm and professional.

“I came into contact with the secretions,” Yunho adds diplomatically. _More like we used it as lube when it fucked me in the ass_ , he thinks, but wisely keeps this to himself. “It didn’t seem to have any effect on me.” _Well, it was a damn useful lube._

Doctor Kwon blinks, and Changmin blushes furiously as the silence stretches out. He can practically hear crickets chirping as he and Yunho squirm like schoolboys caught by their headmistress.

“I tried to shoot him in the head first,” Yunho babbles into the silence, as if this information is in any way helpful. “You know, to test if the parasite would protect Changmin. And it did.”

“Which you resolved with sex. On a tiny escape pod.” Doctor Kwon intones. She sighs. “This sounds like the plot of a terrible porno.”

“Well, the sex was great,” Yunho beams, and Changmin wants to smack him. “And it seems the parasite is, uh, self-lubricating.”

 _God_ , this was so fucking embarrassing. But Doctor Kwon stays professional, repeating her notes into the Dictaphone.

“I’m going to need samples,” she tells them frankly.

Changmin blinks. “What?”

“Samples,” the doctor repeats, impatient. “Of the parasite lube.”

“B-But then we’d have to-” Yunho starts. “You want us to…”

“I can put you in a hospital suite,” Doctor Kwon tells them. “Perfectly sanitary and you’ll be close to medical professionals in case anything goes wrong.”

“You can’t be serious,” Changmin stares.

“Mr Shim,” Doctor Kwon says. For the first time, she sounds irritated. “I’m a very busy woman with dozens of patients. Just get me the sample, please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Translimitanus Crinis" is literally just "foreign tentacle" in Latin. According to google :D


	7. Chapter 7

“This is insane,” Yunho holds the specimen jar in his hands. Changmin sits beside him on the hospital bed, fingers twiddling with his shirt.

“This is so weird I can’t even get it up,” he admits. “Let alone get the tentacles to come out.”

“We don’t have to do this,” Yunho offers. “At least not now.”

“What choice do I have, Yun?” Changmin sighs. “I don’t have a lot of options, not anymore.”

“I don’t feel very sexy,” Yunho mutters, putting the jar down.

They sit in silence for a moment, then Changmin swings his legs up, lying down on the mattress. He pats the space next to him, gesturing for Yunho to join him. “Let’s just lay down for a while.”

“Good idea,” Yunho tucks the younger man between his arms. He sighs, feeling the stress of the past few days ebbing away as Changmin nestles against him.

He pushes his face closer and they kiss, sweet and uncomplicated. Changmin makes a soft sound; Yunho cradles his head in his hands.

“Changminnie,” he whispers quietly. “You’re going to be alright.”

“I want it out of me,” Changmin mutters, pounding a fist weakly against Yunho’s chest.

“I know, baby,” Yunho kisses him again.

Changmin rolls onto his back, pulling Yunho on top of him, breathing a sigh against his lips. His hips roll, arousal sparking. Changmin slips a hand under Yunho’s shirt, caressing. Instinctively, Yunho tries to squirm away, self-conscious of his chest, but Changmin pulls him closer, legs spreading.

“I want you,” the younger man sighs into his mouth.

“You already have me,” Yunho replies, soft. He smiles as Changmin’s legs wrap around his waist, cock stiffening with growing interest.

His hips undulate automatically, sucking a love-bite into Changmin’s neck. He was always so sensitive there, left a panting mess with barely any effort at all. The mattress springs creak as they move, and it’s not until a tentacle twirls around his waist that he even realises they’ve come out.

“Changmin,” Yunho murmurs. He kisses down the younger man’s chest, tongue flicking over his hardened nipples. The tentacles divest the rest of their clothes with ease, groping excitedly over Yunho’s skin, the rims of the suction pads hardening and sucking mouthfuls of flesh across his whole body. Changmin’s hard length rubs against his chest, straining, and unable to resist, Yunho bends down and swallows him, making everything sloppy and wet.

“Ah!” Changmin yelps, hips bucking. Yunho gags a little, slipping off to steady his breathing. “Shit, sorry, hyung-”

“It’s fine,” Yunho croaks, eyes watering. He bends down again, more gentle this time when he pulls Changmin into his mouth. A tentacle twines through his hair, caressing as it curls around his neck. It’s not threatening, just exceedingly gentle, as if wanting Yunho to know it meant no harm. Up close, it smells warm and musky, just like Changmin. Yunho’s nostrils flare at the scent, and he rubs himself against the mattress. As if sensing this, a tentacle twines around the length of his cock, rubbing and tugging firmly.

Changmin groans as Yunho licks a leisurely path up his cock, tracing the outline of a thick, throbbing vein. He snuffles down again, sucking Changmin’s balls into his mouth then swirling his tongue around the crown of his cock.

“Getting close,” Changmin grunts, pushing at his head half-heartedly. Yunho looks up, saliva smeared around his face as he catches his breath.

“How d’you want me, Changminnie?” he purrs. Changmin blushes, licking at his lips.

“I want,” he begins, eyes darting. “God, I want…” he stumbles over his words, as if he can’t quite decide.

The tentacles move, saying more than Changmin’s verbal communication. They twist, turning Yunho to lie back against the mattress, Changmin straddling his waist. The dark blue-green of the tentacles glisten against their sweat-dappled skin, as their cocks are wrapped together and jerked off by the appendages. Changmin moans, leaning forward to kiss Yunho hard, hips thrusting into the tentacles’ tight grip.

“You feel so good,” Yunho gasps against his mouth. His legs spread automatically as a tentacle probes at his hole, dripping wetness already.

“I can’t decide how I want you,” Changmin laughs breathlessly. He can feel the tentacle pushing into Yunho and working his hole open. The feeling is irresistible, and he wants so badly to slide into that tight wet heat- the only thing stopping him is the idea of Yunho filling him up instead.

“Well, we have a few more options now,” Yunho reminds him, though his voice comes out ragged and strained. The tentacle plunges deeper and he cries out, chest arching. “Oh, baby, it feels so fucking good.”

With his perky chest sticking out like that, Changmin sends the two thinner tentacles to play with his nipples, feeling triumphant when Yunho bucks, hands gripping at Changmin’s arms.

 _I can control them_ , Changmin realises faintly. He knew where he wanted to send the two feelers, and they had obeyed without any resistance. Suddenly he remembers Doctor Kwon’s words: _The parasite is fusing to you_. Was this the result? That he could not only feel the tentacles the way he could feel his own fingers, but he could control their movement as well?

It’s a startling discovery, and experimentally, he sends another tentacle to wrap around Yunho’s wrists and pin them above his head.

“Fuck,” Changmin gasps, hyper-aware. He can feel everything: the way his own body lays across Yunho, the tentacle fucking him open, the two feelers stimulating his chest and his cock rubbing against Yunho’s, a puddle of their mixed pre-come dripping on Yunho’s belly.

“Want you,” Yunho chokes out, eyes hooded. His breathing is labouring, hips undulating in time with the tentacle fucking into his ass. Changmin groans at the sight, feeling another tentacle working him open. The sensation is not too different from scissoring himself open with his fingers, just wetter. If anything, it’s easier, the thinner tip of the tentacles slips in smoothly, and as it widens, it slowly pushes his rings open too. Changmin reaches a hand down to jerk their cocks off together, the tentacles that were touching them moving away immediately. Their cocks are slippery and wet from the secretions, and for a while they bask in the pleasure of primal rutting, as the tentacles are fucking them both.

“Oh, fuck, fuck,” Yunho cries out. His arm muscles bulge as he strains against the tentacles pinning him down, and Changmin knows he needs to move on before he finishes before he means to. The tentacle in his ass slips out, allowing him to lower himself on Yunho’s gorgeous thick cock, the familiar length impaling him entirely.

“Oh, Yun,” he sighs with pleasure as he begins to move, cock rubbing deliciously against the hard lines of Yunho’s abs. The older man thrusts up in time with the tentacles pushing into his ass, unable to vocalise any more than a few whimpers of lust. Changmin releases his wrists, taking pity, and Yunho immediately reaches down to grip his hips, his fingers digging in a bruise in retaliation.

The tentacles swirl, knocking down something on the bedside table. With a start, Changmin realises it’s the specimen jar. A laugh bubbles out of him at the sheer ridiculousness of their situation. He sends a tentacle to retrieve the jar, and Changmin slows their ministrations so he can unscrew the lid.

“Forgot about that,” Yunho says hoarsely, a grin on his face. “Bit distracted.”

“You can say that again,” Changmin holds the jar still as a tentacle hovers above, obediently dripping some of the secretions into it. He moves again, picking up speed as he seals the lid and places the jar safely out of reach. Yunho groans, hands wandering over Changmin’s chest.

“Oh, fuck, I’m so close,” he moans. “Can feel you, baby. In my ass, on my cock- God!”

Changmin pants harshly as he moves his hips faster. There’s no rhythm now, only a primal instinct to keep surging forward until he reaches climax.

With a shout, Yunho goes rigid as he starts to come, eyes squeezing shut as the sensations are almost too much. Hips bucking, he unloads into Changmin’s ass, come mixing with the secretions and squelching out lewdly. The sight of Yunho sagging against the mattress is more than enough to send him over the edge, but when Yunho brings down a hand wrap around his cock, Changmin comes almost immediately. He cries out, come spurting over Yunho’s fingers. The older man releases him and licks at his hand, looking exhausted but eyes blazing as they focus on Changmin.

“Yun,” Changmin gasps, shuddering as he comes down from his high. The tentacles unwind from their tangled bodies gently, and retract into Changmin’s back without a trace. Completely spent, they both lay against each other, smeared with come, sweat and the parasite lube. They’re a mess, muscles pulled with over-exertion, but Yunho cuddles him closer, pressing a kiss to his temple.

“Love you,” he murmurs. Changmin is too tired to reply, but he squeezes Yunho tighter, knowing the older man would understand.

The hospital room is comfortable, but not cosy enough to give the illusion they were anywhere else. Changmin shivers, but it has nothing to do with the temperature. Instead, with Yunho naked and sated beneath him, he wonders if perhaps the parasite wasn’t a bad thing, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Have you noticed the longest chapters in this fic so far are the smut ones?? /bricked  
> -There shouldn't be such a long wait in update next time, I was ill this month. (No promises though..)  
> -Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Yunho leaves Changmin at the crack of dawn, still fast asleep in the hospital bed. It fills him with nostalgia; the action reminds him of their days back on the _Cassiopeia_. Changmin had spent most nights of the week in Yunho’s private room, instead of the dorm he was supposed to share with Minho. Minho hadn’t minded, delighted to have their room to himself by proxy, and happily kept their relationship quiet. In the mornings, Yunho would always wake up earlier for a quick workout. He’d leave the younger man in his bed a pot of fresh coffee and come back to kiss a grumpy Changmin awake.

Today though, Yunho heads for the escape pod they’d left parked in the rehabilitation centre’s loading bay. After a couple of nights in the spacious hospital, the pod looks even smaller than before. He can’t help but feel a frisson of lust slither through him when he remembers the last time he was here.

Yunho has no idea where the _Cassiopeia_ is now, but he hopes it’s not so far that he can’t get in touch with Siwon. The device-com flickers with static, and the blue screen sparks before finally connecting, Siwon’s face looming.

“Yunho,” Siwon says, his voice cutting with the poor connection. “Where the hell are you? I’ve been trying to get in touch! Where’s Changmin?”

“He’s fine,” Yunho holds up his hands in a placating manner. “We’re on the Thebe Gossamer Ring Rehabilitation centre.”

“You need to lay low,” Siwon says, frantic. “I don’t know how much you heard, but-”

“Yeah, I know,” Yunho winces as he remembers their abrupt escape from Neo-Seoul. He’d yelled out his resignation to the Commander, grabbed Changmin (or kidnapped, in the eyes of the law), and stolen an escape pod. Though he had no regret for his actions in saving Changmin, he feels guilty for leaving Siwon in such a chaotic mess.

“No, Yunho, you don’t understand,” Siwon’s eyes dart, as if he’s making sure no one is overhearing him. Yunho frowns.

“What’s going on?”

“No one’s pressing charges against you,” Siwon explains. “They’re not holding you at any fault.”

“That’s… good, isn’t it?” Yunho asks. His heart sinks when Siwon shakes his head slowly.

“They don’t think it’s your fault, but…”

“Changmin,” Yunho deduces immediately. “Siwon, tell me everything.”

“I don’t know the full details,” Siwon says. “When you didn’t return to the _Cassiopeia_ , we were ordered to continue with our deliveries, and that I’d be taking your place instead.”

“What do they want with Changmin?”

“The Commander thinks he’s dangerous because of the parasite. They’re going to arrest him. And,” he adds, hesitant. "I don't think they're going to bother with a trial."

“Fuck,” Yunho breathes out. “There’s a tracker on this escape pod, they could be here already!”

“Get Changmin,” Siwon says firmly. “And get the hell out of there.”

“The doctor said the parasite seemed benign,” Yunho tells him. “Surely that counts as something?”

“I wouldn’t risk it,” Siwon hesitates. “Take his medical files as proof, but you know how strict they are about health and safety aboard space vessels.”

“Alright,” Yunho nods. He remembers back when he’s trained as a space cadet, they were required to do a whole semester worth of studying on the dangers of space infections and the like.

“Yunho,” Siwon says. “Good luck.”

It takes him only a few minutes to pack things from the escape pod. He grabs his pistol, counting his bullets. Five left in this clip, then another six in the spare clip he kept on him. Yunho frowns, wondering if he would need to use the bullets at all. He desperately hopes not.

He abandons the escape pod, heading back towards the hospital room where Changmin would be waiting. His heart pounds with unease- suddenly every second feels like a lifetime and every person next to him seems to be looking at him with suspicion.

With a start, Yunho realises that their hospital room is empty. His mind goes into overdrive instantly, thinking the worst, before he realises that it’s 9.30am: they were supposed to meet with Doctor Kwon about the test results from the parasite lube. Changmin was safe.

“Jung Yunho?”

Yunho spins, surprised. A male nurse stands in the doorway, clipboard in hand.

“Yes?”

“Could you come with me, please? It’s about Mr Shim.” The nurse smiles, a practiced veneer of projected calm.

Yunho goes to him immediately. “Is he alright? What’s going on?”

The nurse says nothing, stepping back. In a split second, Yunho realises his mistake. He reaches for his gun, but a blunt object is smacked against his head and he goes sprawling to the floor, a cry of pain torn from his lips.

“Easy, Jung,” the nurse pulls off his scrubs, and Yunho spots a badge: _Intergalatic Police Division._ “We just need your boyfriend.”

Another man, who had been hiding behind the wall reaches down to cuff his hands, before tucking his gun into his utility belt- he must have used the blunt end to hit Yunho.

“You can’t use violence against me,” Yunho snaps. “And what are the cuffs for? You have protocol to follow!”

“You think anyone gives a shit?” The man who had pretended to be the nurse sneers. “There’s an arrest on your boyfriend but God knows how hard that’ll be if he’s infected with some nasty parasite. If we have you, it'll be much easier to get him to co-operate.”

“I’ll report you,” Yunho snarls, though his vision is seeing double. A steady thrum of pain spreads from the back of his head.

“Go ahead,” the accomplice shrugs. “You can’t prove a fucking thing. All we have to do is say you reached for your gun so I hit you in self-defence.”

Yunho opens his mouth to retort, but all wind is knocked out of him when they kick him in the stomach. He wheezes for breath, too weak to fight back as they force him back into the hospital suite, closing the door behind them.

“C-Changmin,” Yunho whispers, heart clenched with fear. “I’m not letting you take him.”

“Hey, Jihoo, you hear that?” The one who had hit him addresses the other man. “I don’t think this one’s going to go down without a fight.”

“That’s a shame,” Jihoo smiles without any warmth. “This is going to make things very difficult if you don’t shut up, Jung.”

“Fuck you,” Yunho growls.

“Oh, my,” Jihoo smiles wider. “Now that’s scary, wouldn’t you say, Mingyu?”

“Yeah,” Mingyu grins. “Sounds like he was threatening us.”

“Well, I guess we have no choice to protect ourselves,” Jihoo mocks. Yunho only has a second to see him smirk, before a wet cloth is folded over his face. He breathes in the harsh chemical inadvertedly, arms and legs struggling as they hold him down.

The last thing Yunho thinks about before he passes out is:

_Changmin._

-

Changmin stalks down the hospital corridors, half annoyed and half relieved. In his hands he holds the test results. He doesn’t understand much of it, but there’s a column full of green ticks and Doctor Kwon had said the parasite lube was completely harmless. They wouldn’t be able to get the parasite out, but perhaps he could learn to live with it. He’s not quite sure how he feels about it yet, but right now he’s distracted by Yunho’s absence. It wasn’t like he expected Yunho to spend every waking second with him, but he could at least _say_ he was going off somewhere instead of letting him wake up to an empty room. At the very least, he could have gone with him to the appointment! The hospital was huge; there would be no point in trying to look for the other man. Instead, he would have to wait in their hospital room and quietly fume until the other man decided to return.

He opens the door with a loud click, slamming it behind him.

“It’s about damn time,” a voice drawls.

The blood in Changmin’s veins goes cold as he takes in the sight before him. Yunho is tied and gagged to a chair, and there’s a large purple bruise blooming across his cheek, swelling his eye shut. He doesn’t seem able to focus his gaze on Changmin properly, but even across the room, Changmin can see the panic on his face. Any anger he had felt moments ago drain out of him instantly, replaced by guilt and fear.

“Yunho,” Changmin makes to step forward, but Yunho struggles against his restraints, shouting against his gag.

_Changmin, run!_

“What do you want?” Changmin glances at the two men. His heart pounds with anxiety. The test results in his hand drift to the floor.

“You’re under arrest,” one of the men step forwards, twirling a pair of handcuffs around his finger. “Come with us quietly and we won’t hurt your boyfriend anymore.”

Anymore? Changmin’s head snaps up. “Fine. Let him go first.” Yunho protests at this, and the second man slaps the back of his head with force.

“Shut up, Jung!”

A quiet fury brews inside Changmin. “Let. Him. Go,” he whispers. His hands tremble, clenching into fists. Yunho watches him with wide eyes.

“That’s not how this works, darling,” the first man smirks. Over confident and arrogant. He was enjoying this- Changmin would hurt him first. “You come with us without a fuss and we’ll leave Jung here. He’s already in a hospital, see how nice we are?”

“Let him go!” Changmin shouts, and this time, he can feel the tentacles rip out of him like an explosion. They swirl behind him in a fan of writhing muscle, spread out like a peacock’s tail feathers. The two men shout in surprise, both scrambling to point their guns. “I said: let him go.”

“Put those away,” the second man snarls. His hand turns; the gun is pointed to Yunho’s head. “Or I’ll end him right now.”

 _Don’t_.

Changmin can just about make out Yunho’s cry. He hesitates. Steps forward.

The first man shouts, frightened, and a shot rings out.

Alarmed, Changmin’s tentacles reach out immediately. A bullet whizzes past him and he screams as it embeds itself into a tentacle. The rest he sends to the two men, ripping the guns from their hands and wrapping around them tightly. He’s filled with a cold rage, whether the parasite’s or his own, he’s not quite sure. They two men struggle, but the tentacles are stronger, tightening until their faces turn and ugly purple-red, eyes bulging. Changmin runs forward and frees Yunho from his restraints.

“Changmin-” Yunho gasps immediately.

“Are you alright?” Changmin runs his hands over his face, frantic. “I’ll kill them, I swear to God I’ll fucking kill them-”

“Changmin!” Yunho shouts. “The tentacles, they’re too tight!”

With a start, Changmin releases their grip, and the two men sag, gasping for air on the floor. Yunho pulls him close, tears of relief streaming down his face.

“I didn’t mean- I didn’t know,” Changmin stumbles, heart hammering. He had almost killed them. Really _killed_ them. And he _wanted_ to do it. “Oh, God, Yunho!”

Yunho struggles to his feet, quickly picking up the guns the two men had dropped. He’s weak and in pain, but the Captain in him quickly takes control of the situation. “Get out and don’t ever come back,” he tells the men. They scramble to their feet, almost tripping as they run away.

“Are you alright?” Yunho asks, gentle.

“Hurts,” Changmin murmurs, tears springing to his eyes. He can feel the throbbing pain in one of the tentacles, struck by the bullet. “Yunho, your face-”

“I’ll be fine,” Yunho murmurs. They embrace; adrenaline still coursing through their bodies. Yunho in particular, seems to sag with relief against Changmin.

“Hyung?” Changmin asks, voice small. He’s slowly aware of the sticky blood at seeps from Yunho’s head and through his own fingers. “Hyung!”

Yunho doesn’t reply, eyes already closed when he sinks to the floor. He doesn’t seem to notice when Changmin shakes him, crying out his name. He doesn’t seem to realise that the tentacles embrace him, curling them together in a tight ball, away from the rest of the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one chapter update this time :) Thanks for reading! <3


	9. Chapter 9

“Mild concussion,” Doctor Kwon explains to Changmin gently. “The blood made it look worse than it really was. He’s stitched up and will recover soon enough.” She turned to Yunho, who was conscious, eyes blearily open as he rested with a cold compress under his head. “You need to rest.”

After Yunho had passed out, Changmin had forced his tentacles back in, ignoring the pain of the embedded bullet to find Doctor Kwon. There wasn’t anyone else he remotely trusted.

“No, we have to leave,” Yunho says. His voice is surprisingly sharp for someone with a concussion, though his eyes aren’t quite focused. “There’ll be more on the way.”

“I can get you in contact with the police,” Doctor Kwon continues. “Not all of them are corrupt, you know. If you stay put, they can be here within the hour. They won’t hurt you.”

“No, but they might hurt Changmin,” Yunho struggles to sit up, ignoring the protests of both the doctor and Changmin.

“Changmin,” he says softly. “Maybe you should go without me.”

Changmin’s eyes widen. “I’m not leaving you!”

“Yunho’s right,” Doctor Kwon says gently. “He can’t go with you.”

Changmin shakes his head. “No,” he says, ignoring their protests. “Where would I even go? I’ll just be chased for the rest of my life at this rate. I don’t want to be a fugitive.”

Doctor Kwon focuses on digging the bullet out of Changmin’s tentacle. He grimaces in pain, sweat trickling down his back and mixing with the writhing mass of tentacles. They swirl anxiously, but allow Doctor Kwon to continue, as if the parasite knew she was helping.

“You said the parasite lube was safe, right?” Yunho says slowly.

“Right,” Doctor Kwon refocuses her attention back on Changmin. “I don’t see how that’s a helpful fact, other than you won’t die during sex.”

Changmin frowns. There was a glint in Yunho’s eyes and his jaw was set firmly the way it did whenever he had an idea was determined to see it through. Before he can ask, Doctor Kwon pulls the bullet out at last, the sharp pain making him wince. She drops it into a specimen jar, then leans to dress his wound.

“Changmin…” Doctor Kwon starts. She sounds astonished. “Your wound- it’s already healing!”

“What?” Changmin twists, but he can’t quite make out the sight. Now that the bullet was out, the pain seemed to dissipate as well.

“I don’t believe it,” Doctor Kwon mutters. For once, her usually composed professionalism is shattered, leaving her flustered and speechless. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“Changmin?” Yunho asks from his bed.

The tentacles retract slowly, as if cautiously making sure there was nothing else wrong. “I’m fine, hyung,” Changmin says, amazed. “I’m completely fine.”

“What’s your plan, then?” Doctor Kwon asks quietly. “Yunho’s in no position to be piloting for at least a week.”

“I’m not leaving,” Changmin glares.

“He’s right,” Yunho sighs. Doctor Kwon makes a sound of protest, but Yunho shakes his head. “You think running will solve anything? I’ve already thrown away my career, Changmin might get arrested. Running will only make him look dangerous.”

“So what should we do?” Changmin frowns.

“We hold our ground,” Yunho tells him. “Isn’t the Commander in charge of all intergalactic travel?”

“Yes, but I don’t see how that helps.” Doctor Kwon sits back, her brow furrowed. Yunho only smiles with growing confidence. It’s the same self-assured expression he wore as the Captain of the _Cassiopeia_ , and the sight of it is comforting.

“We present our case. The Commander won’t risk his reputation and career if he knows the police used excessive force against us. Couple that with medical proof that the parasite is harmless, he’ll leave us alone.”

There’s a pause, as Changmin and Doctor Kwon consider his words.

“We do have medical files proving the parasite is benign,” Doctor Kwon says slowly. “And I’ll be willing to testify this.”

“The hospital will have security measures showing how they broke in,” Yunho adds, eyes growing wide with excitement.

“Don’t forget this,” Doctor Kwon holds up the dislodged bullet. “All police-issue weaponry is registered so ballistics will prove who fired it. Plus, I can testify that it was embedded in the parasite tentacles.”

“This might just work,” Changmin says slowly. “We just need to play our cards right. Yunho, how long do you think before someone else is sent after us?”

“A week at most,” Yunho frowns. “Unless they call local police. We’ll need to lay low.”

“You realise even if you win your trial, you’ll never work with his company again?” Doctor Kwon points out.

“There are plenty of companies willing to hire ships,” Yunho reminds her. “Space travel is a lucrative business.”

“The main problem here is keeping a low profile before more police arrive,” Changmin reminds them.  “We can confront them and use our right to a fair trial, but we have to make sure we don’t encounter any more corrupt officers.”

“You can use my space pod if necessary,” Doctor Kwon adds. They glance at her, surprised. She rolls her eyes. “Look, if you’re doing this, you need a back-up plan.”

“You can be involved professionally by giving your testimony as a doctor,” Yunho states. “But to get personally involved by letting us use your space pod-”

“If it comes to that, I’ll just say you stole it,” Doctor Kwon shrugs. “But if we do this right, it won’t come to that.”

There’s a pause in which Yunho and Changmin exchange worried glances. But all things considered, the plan was the best option they had, and meeting someone like Doctor Kwon who was willing to help them to such lengths was a stroke of luck they’d be foolish to ignore. Changmin finds that once again, he’s able to understand Yunho’s thoughts without a word, and that had nothing to do with any parasite inside him. Instead, their communication was based on how well they knew each other, and the thought of it makes Changmin smile.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Yunho replies, shoulders sagged with relief.

Doctor Kwon smiles back, her facial expression warm. “Please, just call me Boa,” she says. “And if it’s alright with you Changmin, I’d like to write a medical report on your parasite after all this.”

“Yes, of course,” Changmin says. He’s a little surprised, but it was the least he could do for all her help.

“This could be a new species of parasite,” Boa explains. “The more we research it, the more we can do to help people in the future who are infected.”

Changmin nods. He suddenly felt incredibly aware of the parasite entwined along his spine, though now it didn’t seem so scary. If anything, it felt almost comforting, especially after he’d used the tentacles to protect Yunho just hours before.

“Well, rest up,” Boa says, patting Yunho on the knee. He offers and small wave. “I’ll see you both in the morning.”

They murmur their thanks and goodbyes as she closes the door behind her. Changmin gets up to make sure it’s locked properly, before carefully laying down besides Yunho, who’s smiling fondly at him, albeit cross-eyed.

“What?”

“You,” Yunho grins. “Locking the door and creeping up to the bed like a little mouse.”

“I don’t want to make noise,” Changmin grumbled. “You have a concussion.”

“Mild concussion,” Yunho adds, tucking his hand under Changmin’s shirt. His palm is warm, and he trails his fingers up and down Changmin’s sides, tickling him. His breath catches a little when Yunho slips his hand under the waistline of his trousers, kneading the flesh there suggestively. “But now that we’re alone…”

“Really?” Changmin laughs, slapping at his hand. “You’re supposed to be resting!”

“I can’t help it,” Yunho pulls him closer. “It’s not my fault you’re so gorgeous.”

Changmin groans at that line, though secretly he loves it when Yunho heaps him with ridiculous compliments. He rolls on top of Yunho gently, eyebrows going up when he feels Yunho’s half-hard length pressing against his. “Well, maybe you’re not as ill as you claim to be,” he grins, undulating his hips in a delicious circle of pleasure. Yunho moans, head lolling back against the cold compress. Changmin pauses, uncertain.

“Hyung, I don’t know if…”

“It’ll be fine,” Yunho murmurs. “Just be gentle.” He cracks open an eye. “You can do that, right, Changminnie?”

Changmin bites his lip, thinking of the sex they’d had since he was infected with the parasite. Sure, it’d had been hot, but it was also incredibly strenuous, something that Yunho should be avoiding right now. The tentacles had come out without him even knowing the first time; he would be a fool not to worry about it now.

“You said you can control them,” Yunho reminds him gently. “I know you won’t hurt me. I believe in you, Changminnie.”

“Is now really the time to be testing this,” Changmin mutters. He resists the urge to shove him.

“No time like the present,” Yunho points out. He wraps his arms around Changmin’s neck, pulling him down for a sweet kiss. “I want you.”

Changmin sighs against Yunho’s lips, wishing he had more self-control when it came to the other man. He can feel the tentacles unfurling from him, pulling carefully at their clothes. Yunho sighs as one twines along his leg, but places his hand against Changmin’s chest.

“ _Just_ you, Changmin-ah,” he says softly. “Can you do that?”

Changmin’s eyes widen in surprise. “I- don’t know.”

The tentacles sway, as if knowing they weren’t allowed to share the moment this time. Changmin chews his lip. “I’ll try.”

Yunho smiles encouragingly. Changmin kisses him gently, mindful of his head injury. Yunho spreads his thighs a little, allowing Changmin to settle comfortably between them. They keep it slow, but it’s no less exciting. Changmin nips a trail of love bites across Yunho’s chest, sucking and playing with his nipples until Yunho mewls, hips rocking instinctively.

“Lay still,” Changmin orders. “Let me do all the work.”

Yunho’s skin is already covered in light bruises from the suckers on the tentacles, and Changmin laves his tongue over them in half apology. He works his way down teasingly slow, feeling heady with power over the other man. When he finally reaches Yunho’s cock, he licks the length from root to tip, sucking lightly at the crown. He looks up with a smirk. Yunho is watching him with hooded eyes, his mouth parted as he pants. Holding eye contact, Changmin swallows him down, bobbing his head lightly. Yunho groans, his fingers carding through Changmin’s hair.

“So good, Changminnie,” he gasps, body arching. The cold compress beneath his head slips, falling to the floor. Before it hits the ground though, Changmin snakes a tentacle forward to catch it, holding it in place under Yunho’s skull. Reassured, he returns to his task, slurping and sucking lewdly. He alternates between Yunho’s heavy balls, sucking one into his mouth, then the other, whilst his hand wraps around Yunho’s cock, tugging firmly. His own cock grows hard, his nostrils flaring with Yunho’s musky scent. He sends a tentacle between his ass cheeks, working himself open. Maybe it was cheating a little, but it was the most convenient lube on hand. The tip of the tentacle slides into him, the following inches just a little bigger than Yunho’s cock. He moans at the thought, imagining that Yunho was fucking into him as he’s sucking him off.

“Fuck, I’m close,” Yunho grunts, trying to push him off half-heartedly. Changmin releases him with a slick pop, a trail of spit connecting from his lip to Yunho’s cock. He pants, working the ache out of his jaw as he pulls the tentacle away. Careful not to jostle the older man too much, he crawls up and positions himself above Yunho’s straining cock. Yunho sighs with pleasure as Changmin sinks down slowly on his length, rocking his hips experimentally. It’s tempting to bring in the tentacles, but Changmin’s determined to gain more control over them. Apart from the one holding Yunho’s cold compress in place, the rest of them are fanned out behind him, swirling gently, but making no attempt to do anything else. It can’t be more than a few weeks since they’d had sex without the parasite, but Changmin’s surprised to learn how much he’s grown used to them already. It almost feels like something is missing. He shivers, sliding up until the crown of Yunho’s cock almost slips out, then sinks right back down until he’s completely filled.

“Changmin,” Yunho groans. He grips Changmin by the hips, guiding him. “Baby, you’re so tight.”

Changmin isn’t really capable of replying, so instead he fists his cock, panting with pleasure when Yunho moans at the sight. He wants to go fast, but the other man is concussed, after all. His jerks his hand faster, skin burning.

“Hyung,” Changmin leans down, their lips meeting in a hot, wet kiss. Yunho’s mouth is open with pleasure, but Changmin also remembers the look on his face when he had been almost overcome with arousal when they had fucked in the space pod. The mere memory is enough to bring him to the edge.

“Yunho,” he groans, thighs burning with exertion. “Yunho, fuck, I’m gonna come.” He grips his cock, jerking himself off rapidly. “Yunho!”

Yunho grunts a reply. His hands are gripping Changmin’s hips, but he releases one to wrap around Changmin’s, bringing him to completion. Changmin cries out as he finally falls over the brink, come spurting over their fingers and dripping onto Yunho’s belly. It doesn’t take much longer for Yunho to follow, with Changmin tightening his grip over his cock as he comes.

“Ohhhh,” Yunho groans, his hips snapping up instinctively. Changmin lets out a whine as his ass fills up with hot come, head thrown back in ecstasy. He slows his movements as Yunho pulls out, and they fall back onto the mattress, out of breath.

“Knew you could do it,” Yunho pants, looking at the tentacles. They haven’t retracted inside Changmin yet, but he doesn’t mind. Only a few days ago, he had been wary of them, but now they seem like part of Changmin, especially now that he knows the parasite is benign.

Changmin makes a muffled sound of agreement against his chest. He doesn’t even open an eye as one of the tentacles snake out to grab a few tissues. Yunho grins. The parasite was useful for more ways than one, as it turns out. He uses what little energy he has left to clean them up, before tucking Changmin between his arms and falling asleep.

*

He wakes sometime later, when the hospital has fallen silent, and darkness envelopes them. Changmin is curled into his side, his face pressed into Yunho’s neck. The tentacles are still out, wrapping around them and pressing them close. Yunho smiles as he realises that even in his sleep, the younger man is still protective of him. There’s a tentacle threading itself through his hair, and another wrapped snugly around his waist, whilst Changmin’s leg is tucked between his legs. The rest of the tentacles criss-cross their bodies, sliding slowly in a gentle caress. It’s incredibly soothing, especially as they rock them back and forth a little. He presses a kiss against Changmin’s face, thankful that the other man was a deep sleeper. Even asleep, Changmin’s striking face is breath-taking. No doubt the younger man would call him biased but it was the truth. Yunho didn’t know how long they would have before more police arrive for Changmin’s arrest, but at least for now, they have this moment. And with that thought in mind, he drifts back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry for the stupidly long update! OTL But I had some rl issues to deal with. ANyways I'm back now so this fic will be updated within the week. Thanks so much for sticking with it and I'm sorry again!


	10. Chapter 10

When he wakes again, Boa is already in their hospital room. Her feet are propped up on the mattress, and she’s talking to Changmin in low tones. The other man is cradling Yunho in his arms, his fingers carding gently through his hair. There’s a fresh compress applied under Yunho’s head, but he already feels much better after a good night’s sleep. On the table beside the bed, there’s an array of papers.

“What did I miss?” Yunho yawns, as he sits up. Changmin makes a sound of protest, but helps him up.

“The finer details of our little plan,” Boa tells him. “I’ve got a couple of interns watching out for any Intergalactic police.”

“Can you do that?” Yunho asks.

“Nope,” she replies casually. “But they don’t know that.”

Yunho snorts a laugh. He excuses himself to use the bathroom, and returns to find Changmin has ordered breakfast for him. For once, it’s not freeze-dried rations, but actual fruit, along with bread and eggs.

“Oh my God,” Yunho almost moans as he bites into an apple, savouring the sweet juice that bursts into his mouth. “Thank you, baby. This is incredible.”

The food he ate when he was Captain of _Cassiopeia_ was better than the rest of the crew, but even he couldn’t get his hands on simple fresh fruit, especially when they were travelling for months at a time. The majority of meals were vacuum-packed foil cartons of tasteless freeze dried food made purely for nutrition. Instinctively, he pulls Changmin in for an enthusiastic kiss.

“I love you,” Yunho beams. “Did I ever tell you that?”

“I think you’re still concussed, you idiot,” Changmin snaps, but his face is bright red.

“Anyway,” Boa interrupts loudly. “The nearest police station is two days travel away. So if we use that as our minimum timeline, we should be fine.”

“Here’s the evidence we have so far,” Changmin plops a pile of paper onto Yunho’s lap. “Medical records showing that the parasite is benign and the lube is perfectly harmless-”

“It’s listed as _foreign biological exudation_ on the report,” Boa cuts in drily. “We also have security footage showing the two police officers walking in and conveniently, a report of medical scrubs going missing from the supplies cupboard.”

“And the bullet Boa dug out of my tentacle proves they used force,” Changmin adds. He pauses, looking smug. “Technically I did try to strangle them, but it’ll just be their word as evidence since it wasn’t hard enough to leave a bruise of any kind, so that’s fine.” He taps his fingers, thinking. “Oh, and Boa’s written up her witness statement too.” He hands it to Yunho, who flicks through it, amazed.

“It’s fifteen pages long!”

Boa shrugs. “Yeah, I had an intern write up my notes. It’s good practice.” Yunho doesn’t bother to ask if she’s allowed to do that.

“The only thing we can’t really prove yet is my control over the parasite,” Changmin frowns. “But that can be rectified if I’m given an opportunity to do it.”

“Like an obstacle course?” Yunho furrows his brows. “I guess that could work.”

“I could practice,” Changmin says. “When the police get here I can show that I’m in much more control compared to my time at the Neo-Seoul Rehabilitation Centre.”

Yunho winces, hesitant. Changmin’s reaction back then had been incredibly violent- he had over-turned a heavy bed and broken a glass door, for goodness sake! What if that incident would cancel out any proof they had now? Yunho feels a rising sense of panic and wants to bundle Changmin to safety and leave the hospital, but running would only make them look guilty.

“Mood swings are an early symptom of parasites,” Boa reminds him gently. She seems to have read his mind. “Changmin woke up in an unknown place surrounded by strangers in the early stages of infection. Since arriving here, he’s been fine, though.”

“Alright,” Yunho isn’t quite convinced, but the pile of evidence is comforting.

“Now about practicing,” Boa pulls her feet of the mattress and slips into her shoes. “Follow me.”

They trot after her obediently as she leads them to an open garden outside. It’s a large courtyard surrounded by hospital walls on three sides. The fourth, however, was a large transparent dome that over-looked the galaxy. Stars were dotted in bright clusters, whilst distant galaxies swirled amongst the streams of light that must be enormous man-made planets light-years away. It was breath-taking.

“Good, isn’t it?” Boa smiles. “This space is usually reserved for long-term patients and staff, but we can make an exception.”

“It’s a bit public, isn’t it?” Changmin glances at the overlooking hospital walls nervously.

“It’s the only large open area we have,” Boa tells him. “And if you can control the parasite in front of dozens of people, you can do it in front of the police.”

“Plus, there’ll be plenty of new witnesses who can testify,” Yunho adds encouragingly.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Boa says. “I need to check on my other patients. Remember: two days.”

Changmin nods. Whether he was self-conscious or not didn’t matter. It was time to get to work.

*

“I can’t do this,” Changmin groaned. He sank down onto the grass beneath his feet and buried his face into his hands.

More than a few hours had passed since Boa had left them, but he still couldn’t get the tentacles to come out. It had seemed so easy before!

“Just concentrate,” Yunho says, though he was feeling a little frustrated himself. It was useless advice, and he was exasperated that there was nothing he could do to help the other man. “You’re too self-conscious. Just ignore everyone else.”

“I can’t,” Changmin grits out. “How the fuck am I supposed to release all the tentacles when I know it’s gonna freak everyone out?”

Yunho bit back a sharp retort, knowing that as frustrated as he was feeling, it must be a hundred times worse for Changmin. “You’ve done it before, you can do it again,” he repeats this for the tenth time.

With a scoff, Changmin warily gets to his feet and stalks back towards the hospital.

“Where are you going?”

“Away from you!” Changmin snapped. He was being unfair, but he couldn’t help it. As self-conscious as he felt in front of so many potential witnesses, it was worse to see the flicker of disappointment and worry in Yunho’s eyes. The other man could have turned away from this mess from the start, but through everything he had stuck by Changmin’s side. They were technically out of work and God knows how high the hospital bills were now. And yet Yunho had been nothing but sweet and encouraging, all to get a grumpy Changmin stalk off in a tantrum.

With a sigh, Changmin found himself in the stairwell of the hospital. It was blessedly quiet and deserted, unlike the rest of the building that was always bustling with activity. He plopped down on the stairs and leaned his cheek against the cool concrete. Now that he was alone, Changmin berates himself for feeling too self-conscious before. His whole future- not to mention Yunho’s- was hanging in the balance, and unless he could prove himself, he could lose everything. Pressing his lips into a tight line, Changmin takes a breath and wills himself to relax. He pictures the parasites’ tentacles- no, _his_ tentacles unfurling like a fern. He feels them the way he feels his own fingers, and accepts it as an extension of himself, rather than something alien. After all, if the parasite was benign and fusing to him, then it kind of was part of him by proxy, surely?

Changmin doesn’t need to open his eyes to know the tentacles have extended out of his back. He splays them, letting them trail over the concrete walls, the steps beneath him, the metal railings. With a thrill of excitement, he realises that his senses via tentacle was getting stronger. It’s a strange sensation, but not too different from touching something in the dark with his fingers, but the most important thing was that he was gaining more and more control over the parasite.

 _It’s fusing to you_.

Is this what Boa meant? It was impossible to cut the parasite out of him now, but so far it hadn’t really tried to harm him. Every space cadet heard horror stories of parasites that consumed their host until they were left nothing but a dried husk of a corpse in a matter of days. And yet, his parasite only seemed to make him stronger.

He’s so lost in thought, he doesn’t hear a door behind him swing open until a gasp cuts through the silence. Startled, Changmin turns towards the noise, the tentacles swirling aggressively.

In front of him is a wide-eyed little girl. She can’t be more than six, but her left arm is heavily bandaged, and her skin seems covered in mottled purple welts. For a moment, Changmin stares, filled with a mixture of horror at her injuries, and pity, until he realises that her face shows the same expressions directed at _him._

She’s the first to break the silence.

“What’s that?” she asks, pointing at his tentacles.

“I was infected with a parasite,” Changmin explains. The tentacles swirl, uncertain. “They, uh, the tentacles sometimes come out.”

“Oh,” the girl pondered this for a moment, then shrugged. “Okay.”

“You’re not scared?” Changmin asks, stunned. She tugs at her bandage, trying to scratch the covered skin behind her back.

“Nuh-uh,” the girl shrugs. “You don’t look very scary mister.”

Changmin almost laughs out loud. “What’s your name?”

“Yuri,” she wrinkles her nose at him.

“I’m Changmin,” he replies. He gestures at her bandage. “You want some help with that?”

“It’s itchy,” Yuri whines, holding out her arm. Changmin chuckles, leaning forward to adjust the ends so they aren’t tickling her skin. Before he can get back up, she bats playfully at a tentacle.

“Don’t do that,” he scolds, but Yuri only giggles, jumping up to catch one. “Seriously, it’s not a game!”

“They feel funny,” Yuri runs her uninjured hand over the tentacle. “I like the colour.”

“Thank you,” Changmin says drily. He retracts the tentacles before they’re used in her games, but the action only makes her squeal in delight. He pauses, amazed at her simple curiosity and childish wonder.

“Do it again!” Yuri demands, face eager. Cautiously, Changmin allows them to snake out, dancing just out of reach from her outstretched hands. The stairwell echoes with her laughter, and even Changmin finds himself smiling, wishing Yunho was here to see the adorable little girl having fun.

After a while, Yuri gets tired, and demands to be picked up.

“Alright, time for your afternoon nap,” Changmin ruffles her hair. “Which ward are you in? Your parents must be worried by now.”

“I don’t have parents,” Yuri replies instantly. Her voice suddenly sounds very small. “Ward 57.”

Changmin’s heart sinks. He hadn’t stayed at the Rehabilitation Centre for very long, but even he knew Ward 57 was a drop off point for ships who had come across unknown and unwanted orphans abandoned all over the galaxy. With Yuri in his arms, he suddenly feels very protective of her, wondering how lonely and frightened she must have felt before she arrived at the hospital. She’s petting a tentacle like it’s a pet, and her allows them to snake around her in an embrace. It was strange to think how self-conscious he had felt before. But here was a tiny child who had unintentionally walked in on a mass of writhing tentacles erupting out of a strange man’s back. Yuri could have screamed or cried, but instead all she did was ask for help with fixing her bandage. If anything, it boosted his confidence that he could control the tentacles. After all, he had willingly allowed a child to play with them! They couldn’t jail him after seeing that!

Without thinking, Changmin exits the stairwell and into the bustling corridors, carrying a dozy Yuri in his arms. He ignores the cries of surprise and the stares. The tentacles wrap around Yuri, cradling her small body, and the rest of them trail behind harmlessly. He walks like this all the way to Ward 57, and when he hands Yuri over to a stunned nurse, he leaves the tentacles out all the way back to his hospital room, where Yunho sits, waiting for him.


	11. Chapter 11

There’s a soppy smile on Yunho’s face when he finished telling his story, though there’s also a twinge of sadness as Changmin tells him about Ward 57.

“Changmin,” Yunho breathes. “You’re amazing.”

“Sorry I snapped at you earlier,” Changmin mumbles. His face is heated, but he needs to say it. “You deserve better than that.”

He leaves his tentacles out, and they twine around their bodies as they lounge over the bed. The window shades were pulled back completely, the view of the galaxy bathing them in starlight. Remnants of their shared dinner are discarded to the bedside table, and now Changmin is drowsy, almost purring with pleasure as Yunho traces lazy circles over his warmed skin.

“Thank you,” Yunho smiles at him, understanding. He sighs as a tentacle winds around his waist. “You know, I think I could get used to this.”

“Hm?”

“The tentacles. I was terrified at first,” Yunho’s hold tightens without him seeming to realise. “Everyone’s heard stories about space parasites; how they drain their host of everything within days, or they take over their mind until they’re brain dead but still alive.”

Changmin shudders at the thought. He can’t imagine which one would be worse. “That’s why you were going to shoot me when I got back on the ship after I was infected.”

Yunho closes his eyes, pained. “I thought if you were going to die, it would be as quickly and as painlessly as possible.”

Changmin swallows thickly. He had been so caught up in own worries, he’d never thought about what Yunho had been going through. He tried to imagine how he would have reacted if Yunho had been infected instead. Would he have been able to put Yunho out of his misery? It was a horrifying thought, but the mere fact that Yunho would rather let him die at his own hands than a parasite was just a mere glimpse at how much he was loved. Yunho opens his eyes, and in that moment, Changmin really had no words. He leans forward, bruising Yunho’s lips with a kiss, hoping the other man would understand.

With hindsight, Changmin can see how easily things could have gone wrong. He could have accidentally killed someone at the No-Seoul Rehabilitation Centre. If Yunho hadn’t been nearby, maybe he wouldn’t have heard Changmin, and instead of helping him escape, Changmin could have been arrested and placed into quarantine for who knows how long. And what if there hadn’t been an escape pod nearby? What if he had accidentally broken the pod with the tentacles when they slept together? The thoughts swirl around Changmin’s head like a hurricane. No matter what, they had overcome each problem by sheer luck and each other. The realisation makes him shiver, knowing how fortunate he was.

Yunho opens his mouth with a sound of pleasure. They slide against each other, bodies moving naturally. Friction between their skin makes them warm, and the tentacles divest their clothing to the floor.

“Changmin,” Yunho gasps against his lips. “I want you.”

“Yes,” Changmin says, drunk on lust and love. He’s overwhelmed with needing the other man, needing to own him and mark him so no one would ever doubt he belonged to Changmin. “ _Yes_.”

He pushes Yunho back against the mattress, their kisses growing frantic with need.

“Changmin,” Yunho rumbles. He grabs Changmin by the sides of his face, their eyes locking. “ _Use me_.”

“Oh, fuck,” Changmin moans. His cock gives a huge twitch, almost painful with how hard it was. “Oh, Yunho, fuck!”

“That’s the idea,” Yunho smirks, sinking back against the pillows. “I’m all yours, Changmin-ah. However you want.”

There’s some kind of response hovering at the tip of Changmin’s tongue, but all thoughts melt out of his brain, replaced by primal urges to just fuck. His brain goes into over-drive, excitedly thinking about all the positions he could have Yunho now.

“I’m gonna fuck you,” Changmin says, his voice hoarse. He scrambles off the bed, the tentacles wrapping around Yunho and pulling him off to kneel on the floor in front of him. “But first, you’re gonna suck my cock.”

“Oh, yeah,” Yunho moans, before he takes Changmin in. He teases a little, tongue flicking at the sensitive spot beneath the crown, then sinking down to mouth at his balls, before coming back up to swallow him down again. Changmin hisses, hoping his doesn’t shoot his load right there and ruin everything. But Yunho leans back a little, tongue lapping up the pearls of pre-come and gazing up at Changmin with a flushed face.

“You look so good like that,” Changmin gasps. Yunho purrs at the praise, lips stretched thin around his cock. In reward, he directs a tentacle between Yunho’s ass. It slithers excitedly, wet already. The tip of it inches in teasingly, tracing maddening patterns over his perineum before plunging in, working him wide open.

Yunho moans like a whore, arching his back so his ass sticks out, allowing the tentacle better access. The sight is filthy, and Changmin’s balls tighten in warning. Reluctantly, he pulls Yunho off with a slick pop. Yunho gasps after his cock, saliva dribbling out of his lips, flushed bright red and swollen.

A tentacle pushes against Yunho’s chest, until he falls back against the floor, the blow softened by another tentacle. He gazes up at Changmin, eyes hooded.

“More,” he demands, and Changmin has never been more pleased to follow his orders.

He directs a tentacle around Yunho’s cock, leaving the two thinner feelers to play with his swollen nipples. Yunho cries out, his head lolling back. He lifts his legs, and tentacles twine around them, spreading them apart. His thighs bulge as they criss-cross his legs, and his body goes completely boneless, a slave to pleasure. It’s an incredible sight, and Changmin has to grip the base of his cock to hold onto the moment for a little longer.

“Oh, I’m close,” Yunho gasps. He cracks open his eyes, staring at Changmin. “Please, Changmin, I’m so fucking close!”

“Not yet,” Changmin pulls the tentacles away from his ass and cock, and they slither teasingly around the areas Yunho wants them most, always just out of reach. The two feelers Changmin leaves alone, pinching and tracing maddeningly light circles over the sensitive nubs. Yunho whimpers, too weak to fight against the tentacles holding him spread-eagled and unable to touch himself.

“Please, Changmin,” Yunho shouts, desperate. “Please, I need to come!” His cock twitches, slapping against his abs with an obscene wet _thwack_.

“You said I could have you any way I wanted,” Changmin reminds him. He crouches down, brushing the sweat dampened hair from Yunho’s brow. “Don’t you want me to have my way?”

Yunho nods, though his eyes are blazing with want. “But please, just-” he gasps as Changmin trails his fingertips down sensitised chest. “Hurry,” he finishes, voice hoarse.

“You look so beautiful,” Changmin breathes. “You know what the great thing is about these tentacles? I can use them to position you however I want.”

Yunho’s brow furrows in confusion, but before he can say anything, the tentacles wrap around him firmly and hoist him into the air. Yunho yelps in surprise, but moans softly when Changmin suspends him face down, his knees brought up and his ass sticking out. He binds Yunho’s wrists with a tentacle, pressing it against his face so his neck isn’t straining.

In full force, the tentacles number at over a dozen, the thickest bigger than Changmin’s arm. They’re strong enough that they can hold Yunho’s weight without strain, and Changmin plans to make the most of it. He gives his cock a quick tug before leaning forward to kiss Yunho. It’s messy and wet, and Yunho whines a little, nipping his lower lip in frustration.

Changmin huffs a laugh against his lips, trailing his hands all over his body, working his way lower. “Beautiful,” he whispers. He doesn’t know if Yunho can hear him, but it doesn’t really matter by now. His hand reaches out to jerk Yunho off, keeping his grip loose enough that the other man isn’t tipped over the edge.

“Changmin,” Yunho grunts, hips trying to thrust. “Don’t tease. You bastard!”

“Not yet,” Changmin repeats. His breath hitches at the sight. Yunho is utterly reliant on the tentacles to hold him in place, and his eyes are dark, desperately watching Changmin for me. “My way. You promised.”

Yunho groans, the sound rumbling low from his chest. Taking pity, he trails kisses between his straining thighs, wiping away the heat-thinned lube. The taste is mostly bland, but there’s a hint of musky sweetness he isn’t sure came from Yunho or the parasite lube. His balls, heavy with anticipation, hang low. Changmin mouths at them, tongue laving over the soft skin. He licks experimentally, smug when Yunho’s cries become incoherent. He presses his tongue against his hole, plunging in wetly then circling back out around the rim. Yunho cries out, hips thrusting back for more. It’s not enough.

Changmin grips his ass cheeks, spreading them out with a tight grip so he can kiss the hole he’s about to fuck. Yunho sobs, his body thrashing, but there’s nowhere for him to go. Changmin’s cock is so hard it’s almost painful, and unable to hold off any longer, he lowers the other man so his back rests against his chest.

“ _Yes_ ,” Yunho hisses as Changmin thrusts him. He’s still tight, even after the tentacle had fucked into him. “Oh, Changmin, fuck!”

They stagger forward until Yunho is pressed against the wall, his nipples brushing against the cool paint.  Changmin grips his hair, tilting his head so he can bite against the heated flesh of his neck. He fucks ruthlessly, a tentacle lifting one of Yunho’s legs so he’s spread wide open. The position makes Yunho’s back arch, and Changmin splays his spare hand across his chest, tentacles stroking over his cock.

It doesn’t take long before Yunho shakes as orgasm builds, his mouth open in a silent scream. Come spurts out, covering the tentacles and Changmin whimpers at the sensation. He follows soon after, emptying himself inside of Yunho, the older man pushing his ass back greedily. Yunho shouts, still too sensitive, as he comes _again_ , cock spurting a pathetic dribble as he’s completely drained. Even in his dazed state, Changmin is amazed. He’s never seen Yunho come twice in such a short time before. The older man shudders as Changmin pulls out, body grinding instinctively against Changmin’s as he rides out the last waves of orgasm.

The come down from their high slowly, Yunho sagging against Changmin as his chest heaves. Changmin manoeuvres them back onto the bed and they flop against the mattress, breathing hard.

“I’m not going to be able to walk for a while, I don’t think,” Yunho groans. His muscles are pulled but it was worth it.

Changmin laughs breathlessly. “I might even be grateful for the parasite now,” he turns on his side and faced Yunho. “Are you alright? I was kind of... rough.”

“Yeah,” Yunho smiles back, expression relaxed with satisfaction. “I did ask for it.”

They clean up a little, before basking in the afterglow for a moment, content to just be close to one another. Changmin is just drifting off into sleep when he’s gradually aware of hurried footsteps rushing towards their room. His eyes snap open, just as the door is flung open.

Yunho yelps in surprise, throwing the blanket over their naked bodies. The tentacles flare out in warning.

“Can’t you fucking knock?” Yunho grumbles, grabbing at his clothes and hiding behind the tentacles.

“Boa!” Changmin sags in relief, before he spots the expression on her face.

“You need to leave,” she says, wide-eyed.

Yunho tosses Changmin his clothes. “Tell me what’s going on.”

The vulnerable, dozy man lying on the bed next to him was gone; replaced instantly by the strong-willed Captain who Changmin had fallen for all those years ago.

“The Commander,” Boa says, frantic. “He’s here!”

“What?” Changmin suddenly feels sick. “But why would he come all this way personally?”

“He must think you’re a bigger threat than he previously imagined,” Yunho says grimly. He tucks in his shirt. “Get ready.”

“I don’t have the keys for my space pod on me,” Boa says. “I can run back to the office-”

Changmin ignores her, focused on the way Yunho has tensed. “Where are we going to go?”

Yunho turned back to him, his lips set in a firm line. “We stick to the plan, Changmin. We’re not going anywhere.”

*

Boa escorts them to the main reception where the Commander is waiting. He’s an imposing man flanked by three more officers. Their very presence seems to make everyone nervous, and staff members and patients alike scurry past them with their heads down.

“Jung Yunho and Shim Changmin,” the Commander frowns when he sees them. “It has been quite the headache to track you down.”

“You’ve been following the tracker on the escape pod from the Rehabilitation Centre in Neo-Seoul,” Yunho replies coolly. “I don’t see how that might be difficult.”

The Commander smirked. “I suppose there was no point trying to blindside you, was there, Mr Jung?”

“No,” Yunho says calmly.

“Then I’ll get straight to it,” the Commander gestured towards Changmin. “Mr Shim, I’m arresting you for property damage of Government property and kidnapping.”

“Kidnapping,” Yunho repeats incredulously. “I went with him willingly!”

“That remains to be seen,” the Commander looks unfazed as his officers to handcuff Changmin. Changmin fights the urge to resist, eyes darting to Yunho.

“The last officers you sent tried to shoot us,” Yunho snaps. Instinctively he moves closer to Changmin. “And the law dictates that in cases of excessive force committed by Intergalactic police, Changmin has the right to a trial.”

“You’ve certainly done your homework,” the Commander sneers. “But without evidence-”

“Actually,” Boa interrupts loudly. “They do have evidence.”

People are turning to look now, curious at the strange confrontation in front of them. Boa is tiny next to the group of big men, but she carries herself with an easy confidence and demands respect from those around her. This was a woman who was used to being overlooked, Changmin could tell.

“Doctor Kwon,” Boa introduces herself calmly. “Mr Shim here has been my patient since he got here. Now then, if it’s evidence you want, I have a whole file on his medical records and I can provide my witness statement and offer my professional opinion on this case.” She held out a hand and an intern hurried forward, placing a stack of papers into it. “We can go over everything in detail at the trial if you like.”

“Who said there’ll be a trial?” The Commander pointed a finger at Changmin, who flinched. “That man is dangerous!”

“And we have the necessary evidence to prove that he isn’t,” Yunho growled. “Not to mention,” he adds loudly. “The hospital has security footage of your cronies breaking in and posing as medical staff. Now, I’m not entirely sure, but isn’t that breaking some kind of law?”

The Commander turned an ugly shade of red as people around them started to murmur. Yunho had been right; he wouldn’t dare risk his reputation in front of so many people like this.

“We’ll escort you to the nearest Court of Justice,” the Commander said stiffly. “Doctor Kwon, if you could be so kind as to join us as well.”

The police reluctantly release Changmin; they couldn’t officially arrest him until he was proven guilty at the trial. He breathes a sigh of relief, suddenly releasing a breath he hadn’t known he was holding in.

“Alright,” Yunho lets out a sigh of relief as they turn their back. The crowd that had been gathering around them begins to dissipate, and the Commander shoots Yunho dirty glare before exiting: he knew Yunho had banked on his unwillingness to risk his reputation. “So far, so good.”

“That was the easy part,” Boa mutters grimly. “Now the hard part comes when we prove Changmin is innocent.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> k don't judge me too hard for probably the most imaginative smut I'll ever write lmao. I know I'll go to hell but you chose to read this so...I'll see you there? :D


	12. Chapter 12

The _Cassiopeia_ is a beautiful ship, but even she can’t compare to the Commander’s space vessel. It’s vast and modern, the fusion engines running almost silently as it shoots across the galaxy. The three of them- Yunho, Changmin, and Boa- sit in a tense silence as they fly towards the Intergalactic Court of Justice.

As they arrive, they’re barely given a chance to look around before they’re called to a holding cell. Changmin is locked in, but Yunho and Boa are free to wait wherever they please. It’s like a douse of ice water to realise the severity of his situation now. Yunho and Boa stay with him, but the bars between them and him are glaringly obvious.

“Changmin,” Yunho soothes. “It’ll be fine.”

“Don’t,” Changmin scoffs. “Don’t say that when you have no idea what’s going to happen!”

“We can prove you’re not a threat because you’re not a dangerous person,” Yunho says. “It’s the truth! They will believe you!”

“It makes no difference to you anyway,” Changmin snaps. “You can just walk out of here!”

“You really think I would do that?” Yunho shoots back. “After everything? I know you’re worried, but don’t talk shit.”

“Perhaps I should give you both a minute,” Boa murmurs. She throws Changmin a pitying glance, then exits the room.

“Tell me honestly, hyung,” Changmin says into the silence. “Since I was infected with the parasite, does the sex we’ve had since then make you want the parasite to stay?”

“What?” Yunho snaps. “Are you out of your mind?”

Changmin levels a stare at him. “Answer the question.”

“Of course not,” Yunho hisses. His face reddens, and Changmin scoffs. He doesn’t need Yunho to use words to know.

“Look,” Yunho tries. “I won’t lie- the sex has been incredible. I’ve come so many times and so hard, I never thought I’d be able to walk properly again.”

Changmin looks away, his thoughts confirmed. Yunho approaches the jail and stretches out his hands through the bars. After a brief moment of hesitation, Changmin goes to him, gripping his hands.

“Do you really think I’m in this just for the sex?” Yunho whispers.

Changmin closes his eyes, guilty. “Of course not. Hyung, I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too,” Yunho murmurs. “I can’t lie though; sex has been great since you were infected.”

“I can’t really argue with that,” Changmin says drily.

“But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t throw all of that away if it would help you,” Yunho continues.

 “I know,” Changmin says softly. “I just needed to hear you say it.”

“I love you,” Yunho tells him sincerely.

“I love you too,” Changmin replies, blushing lightly.

Yunho presses a kiss to the palm of his hand. “You’re gonna be okay, Changminnie.”

They’re allowed a few seconds of reconciliation, before the door is flung open. A guard, followed closely by Boa, announces that they’re to move to a courtroom. There’s no longer any time to prepare or to comfort one another. Changmin stands, and walks into an uncertain future.

*

The court itself is a large room, but only half filled with attendants. A panel of judges sit across a bench at the front of the room, whilst the witnesses are seated to the sides, facing the centre of the room, where a wooden plinth is in place. Changmin is shepherded to the middle of the plinth, his hands cuffed to the bar raised in front. Despite his protests, Yunho and Boa are made to sit by the side, out of Changmin’s line of vision. The Commander sits on the other side of the room. Now that he’s left alone in front of the judges and the centre of attention, Changmin’s heart quickens, his stomach churning. But the judges barely spare him glances as they shuffle the papers in front of them. Changmin tears his eyes away, trying to settle his nerves. They didn’t look particularly interested- if anything, the judges looked bored and overworked. Would they even be willing to listen to his case properly? Surely it would just be easier for them just dismiss him as a danger for society and lock him up for good. What would he do then? Could he dare to escape? What about Yunho? Thoughts whirled round his head, making his dizzy with anxiety. Changmin tugs lightly at his cuffs. The bar he’s chained to would snap like a twig if he used his tentacles, but wisely, he keeps them retracted.

“Do we have all the necessary files for this case?” the judge in the centre calls out. When a staff member confirms, he bangs his gravel, and a hushed silence falls over the room.

“Then the court is in session. Shim Changmin, please state your case.”

*

They present their case as best as they can, a process that takes a few hours. The Commander starts off with his statement and his belief that Changmin was dangerous. He’s utterly cold, barely sparing Changmin a glance. His mind seems made up about the parasite already, and this trial is nothing more than an unavoidable inconvenience to him. After the Commander steps down from the witness stand, Changmin’s asked to recount his experience, from infection to his stay at the Thebe-Gossamer Rehabilitation Centre. It’s a drawn out procedure and they ask him everything from his childhood to his diet. Then after they’re done questioning him, they interrogate Boa, who, to her credit, remains entirely calm and professional as she talks. She flashes him a quick smile every now and then from the witness stand, a gesture he appreciates.

Then it’s Yunho’s turn.

The older man looks calm and answers his questions assertively. To anyone else, the former Captain looks self-assured and proficient, but Changmin knows better. Even across the room, he can see his eyes darting from Changmin to the judges to Changmin again. He’s feeling just as nervous as Changmin feels, but desperately trying not to show it.

“And what is your relationship with Mr Shim?” The judge asks.

Yunho hesitates a fraction too long. “I was his Captain, nothing more.”

Changmin knows why the other man downplays their relationship, but it stings to hear it nonetheless.

“And yet you stated that went with Mr Shim willingly rather than coercion,” the judge points out.

“Yes,” Yunho flicks a glance at Changmin.

“You risked your entire career for the sake of one crew member?”

“Yes,” Yunho repeats through gritted teeth. “It was the right thing to do.”

“Are we to believe you would have made the same decision for any of your crew members?”

“If I felt it was necessary,” Yunho snaps. His temper is flaring. “My duty as a Captain is not just to keep a ship running, it’s also to look after the people under my charge. And if that means leaving the ship for a while, then so be it. My First Mate Choi Siwon is extremely competent. I had every faith he would keep the _Cassiopeia_ going in my absence.”

The judges murmur to each other, convening like Changmin wasn’t there at all. He’s still cuffed in the centre of the room, ignored by the judges who hold the fate of his future in their hands. He’s entirely powerless here, and it dawns on him then that maybe, with all their evidence and Boa’s statement, it’s not enough. He could be thrown in jail forever, maybe subject to medical experiments against his will, and he’ll never know freedom again. There’s a panicked glint in Yunho’s eyes that tells him he’s reached the same realisation.

“May I remind you,” the judge turns back to Yunho. “Relationships between a Captain and his crew members are strictly frowned upon.”

“But not forbidden,” Yunho counters sharply. He might as well have confirmed they were together. Changmin winces.

“I think we’ve heard enough,” the judge draws back, and Yunho is forcibly escorted from the witness stand. “Mr Shim, you maintain the belief you have control over the parasite?”

“Yes,” Changmin croaks. He licks over his parched lips, eyes focused on Yunho. They can’t do more than exchange looks wrought with tension, and Changmin knows that he can’t rely on Yunho anymore. Boa had done her part, as had Yunho- the rest was up to him.

“Are you able to demonstrate this?”

Changmin opens his mouth. _Could_ he do this? He’s barely had any time to practice, and last time, he couldn’t even pull out his tentacles in front of a few dozen people at the hospital.

“Mr Shim?”

“Yes,” Changmin straightens up, feeling the cuffs tug uncomfortably at his wrists. “I can.”

A hushed silence falls over the court. This was his one chance to prove his innocence and regain his freedom- if he failed, he might never get a chance again. All eyes are trained on him now, the pressure mounting unbearably high.

Changmin closes his eyes.

He tries thinking of Yuri, her mottled skin covered in painful welts. She had every reason to be wary and afraid of him, but instead she had been friendly and happy to play with him. He thinks of Boa, who had treated him without knowing if he could infect her or even what kind of parasite it was. And still, she had stuck by her patient, a total stranger, and helped him. He thinks of Yunho, his Yunho, who had done everything and anything to help him. He had thrown away his entire career in an instant to be by his side, and even now, with Changmin’s future in the balance, he was here.

There’s a collective gasp around the court that tells him the tentacles have unfurled. He opens his eyes to see the shocked expressions on the judges’ faces. The tentacles are out in full force, swirling languidly behind him. Even in a relaxed state, it’s clear to anyone that the tentacles are capable of immense power, but Changmin keeps them placid. Even the Commander looks surprised- the last time he had seen them, Changmin had destroyed his hospital room in Neo-Seoul. His surprise is quickly covered, but it’s enough to give Changmin a boost of confidence.

“Do you have any last words before we decide a verdict, Mr Shim?” the judge asks.

“I could have snapped these handcuffs hours ago,” Changmin tells the judges. “But I chose not to.” He swirls his tentacles, then slowly retracts all of them back in.

“How do we know you won’t use them for criminal purposes outside of this court?” the judge asks sharply.

“I’ve never had a criminal record,” Changmin points out. “My academic records show I scored in the top three percentile of my year and was recruited by dozens of companies before I started working on the _Cassiopeia_.”

“That doesn’t mean anything if the parasite occupies your mind,” the judge looks unconvinced.

“Doctor Kwon mentioned it was highly unlikely as I showed no symptoms of a mind-manipulating parasite,” Changmin says. “And her records show it hasn’t harmed me in any way.”

“In my professional opinion,” Boa says from the witness stand she’s been called to for the second time that day. “The parasite is an unusual case where it appears to be fused to its host in a symbiotic relationship. My theory is that if Changmin is harmed, then so is the parasite. It naturally protects its’ host, and therefore itself. I can’t be sure without further research though. With respect, I propose a full medical report to be drafted based on this new parasite. I’d be happy to lead it myself.”

With her final words, she’s dismissed, and finally, Yunho takes the stand to issue his last statement. He repeats his previous words, a mantra that’s getting repetitive even to Changmin. “As we discussed earlier,” Yunho continues. “Changmin’s tentacle healed in a matter of minutes after a bullet was pulled out from it. There could be a medical break-thorough in terms of healing if his parasite is studied more. Locking him away would be detrimental to any scientific advancement.”

“We can’t set him free based on a conjecture of what might happen,” the Commander snaps.

“Look around us!” Yunho interrupts. “Thousands of years ago, space travel would have been impossible. And before that, flying over Earth was deemed impossible as well. How do we know if we don’t try?”

“And who will be responsible if he causes any damage?” the Commander shouts. “I will not have this man work in my company!”

“With all due respect,” Yunho retorts, voice dripping with sarcasm. “I am his Captain. It was my ship that you hired, but Changmin’s employer is technically me.” He turns back to the judges, as they gaze sombrely back at him. “I will take all responsibility if anything happens- and I’m confident that it won’t. But if you don’t want Changmin working for you, then by all means, there are plenty of other companies who are willing to hire us.”

The Commander snarls. “Do you really think anyone would want to take the risk?” he says. “Remember, Jung, you already resigned, don’t come begging for a job when you face the reality of your situation!”

“That’s enough,” the judge bangs his gravel. “Commander, you may speak when called to the witness stand, but otherwise the Court demands your silence.” He reshuffles his papers. “However, I would not recommend Mr Shim’s employment on board a ship, or any environment that would put others at risk.”

“I’m not a dangerous person,” Changmin says, heart hammering. He’s close to pleading for his freedom, but at this point he would do anything not to be locked up. “I’ve never hurt anyone before!”

Across the room, Yunho looks heart-broken at his desperation. But his jaw is clenched tight, and suddenly, he leaps over the witness stand, heading straight for Changmin.

“Mr Jung!” The judge shouts, livid. “Stay away from Shim, we don’t know how he might react-”

“He’s not dangerous,” Yunho snaps. “This is ridiculous! We have entire folders with medical evidence and you still won’t believe him! What more do you want?”

“Yunho,” Changmin whispered. The older man hugs him close, and though Changmin is worried whether he’ll get in trouble, he can’t help but feel reassured by his presence. “What are you doing?”

“The final proof,” Yunho murmurs. “Work with me, Changminnie.”

Changmin nods. He has no idea what the other man is planning, but Yunho has never let him down so far.

“If the parasite is dangerous, then it’ll protect itself from any perceived danger,” Yunho addresses the rest of the room in a loud voice. A hushed murmur of interest rises from the attending witnesses as they watch on. To the side, Boa has anxiously risen out of her seat, looking as if she can’t decide whether to stop Yunho or not.

“Get back here, Mr Jung,” the judge snaps. “Or shall I have you arrested on contempt of the court?”

“Changmin knows and trusts me, but the parasite doesn’t,” Yunho ignores him. Slowly, a sense of déjà vu dawns on Changmin. He gulps nervously, wondering if Yunho’s about to do what he suspects.

“What are you getting at, Jung,” the Commander growls.

“Any parasite would naturally defend itself against a threat,” Yunho says, louder, as security guards close in. “It’s a basic law of survival.”

 _Oh God,_ Changmin thought.

“If in danger, a parasite will indiscriminately attack in self-defence,” Yunho continues. “Unless, of course, the parasite’s host has control over it and can distinguish between who they trust and who they perceive as dangerous.”

The tentacles swirl out as the guards step close to Yunho. They shout in surprise, unwilling to come closer.

“Guards, do not antagonise Mr Shim,” the judge shouts. “Jung! Get away from him! He’ll kill you!”

“No, he won’t,” Yunho says calmly. “But you won’t believe me, so I guess I’ll just have to show you.”

He turns back to Changmin, an eyebrow raised. _Are you ready?_

Changmin nods.

“Sorry, Changminnie,” Yunho murmurs.

And then he leaps over the bar Changmin’s cuffed to, and delivers a flying kick in his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost at the end now! Thanks for reading :)


	13. Chapter 13

There’s a collective horrified gasp from the crowd around them, and Changmin barely has time to register the tentacles flared in anger before an agonising pain blossoms across his face. Someone screams when a tentacle snaps his cuffs, the bar smashed into two pieces. Changmin staggers back, hands held up to stem the blood spurting from his nose.

“Everybody get back!” The judge shouts over the chaos. “Jung, get away from him!”

The court is in uproar. Changmin can see several people on their feet, torn between wanting to run away and wanting to see what happens.

“Changmin!” Boa leaps over the railing, stopping only when he throws out a hand in warning. She bites her lip, anxious.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Changmin mutters, more to himself than anyone. He looks up. Yunho’s picked up the broken bar that he had been handcuffed to, whirling it in his hand like a baseball bat. There’s a mixture of emotions on his face- apologetic hesitance but sheer determination to prove his point. He looms over Changmin, jaw set and every bit the domineering Captain. Even sprawled on the floor and in pain, Changmin can’t help a tiny frisson on lust that runs through him. Yunho looks… _hot_.

“Jung, what the hell are you doing?” The judge shouts. “Put that down!”

“You’ll make it up to me later,” Changmin says, gritting his teeth in anticipation.

“Anything you want, Changminnie,” Yunho says quietly. Then he lifts the bar and slams it into a tentacle.

Changmin screams with pain. This time, a few people really do run out from the courtroom, fear overcoming their curiosity. The tentacle rears like a whip about to come down on Yunho, but it stays hovered in the air. The sensation is not too different than if Yunho had hit him on his arm. If the tentacle had any bones, they would have broken. As it is, he can only hope the bruising heals as fast as the bullet wound previously. Taking a few shaky breaths, Changmin steadies himself, acutely aware of the remaining audience waiting to see if the parasite would kill the man he loves. The tentacles swirl like a vortex, before settling down like leaves drifting on a gentle breeze. One of them reaches out to Yunho, pulling the bar from his hand and dropping it far out of reach.

“My God,” the Commander is staring with wide eyes.

“Yunho,” Changmin says hoarsely. “Yunho, come here.”

Yunho is by his side in an instant, cradling him. “I’m so sorry, baby,” he whispers. “I had to.”

“I know,” Changmin tells him, stroking the hair away from his face. “Thank you.”

Yunho helps him up as he struggles to his feet, almost laughing at the dumbfounded expression on the judge’s face. _I told you_ , he wants to say, but the words aren’t necessary.

“Changmin?” Yunho wipes some blood from his face, brow creased with concern.

“Hyung,” Changmin says softly. A small smile breaks out over his face. “I think I’m going to be okay.”

They embrace in the middle of the stunned courtroom, and the tentacles wrap around them like vines.

*

It’s a strange sensation to step back onto the _Cassiopeia._ It had only been a few weeks, but it feels like much longer. Still, it’s like being greeted by an old friend as the ship parked at the Thebe-Gossamer Rehabilitation Centre. Siwon is there at the main entrance, flanked by Minho and Seohyun as Yunho and Changmin step up the plank onto the ship, followed by Boa.

“You bastards,” Siwon grins as he pulls them into a tight hug. “Do you know how fucking hard it was to be thrown into the deep end these past few weeks?”

“I don’t suppose a simple apology would suffice?” Changmin smiles as Minho leaps forward and envelops him into a hug.

“It’s a start,” the younger man says. “Welcome back, hyung.”

“Captain, I hope you have a plan,” Seohyun says. She looks happy to see them, but worried as well. “Everyone on this ship is technically unemployed now. Even though Changmin was declared innocent, the Commander didn’t want to work with us anymore.”

“Relax, I have everything sorted,” Boa interrupts. She quickly introduces herself as Changmin’s personal on-board medic. “The hospital board is willing to provide payment for Changmin’s co-operation in my medical report. It’s such an unusual case with huge potential benefits, they couldn’t possibly ignore it.”

“That’s not enough to cover the entire ship,” Seohyun frets.

“We’ll still be making deliveries as we were before,” Yunho tells her. “Between medical funding and a new business, we can make it work.”

“Maybe we could pick up space tourism,” Siwon suggests. “There’s always people who want explore the galaxy.”

“See?” Yunho smiles at Seohyun. “It’ll be okay.”

Their staff line the numerous hallways, cheering as they enter the ship. It’s like a hero’s return, and Changmin finds himself touched, despite the fact that he didn’t really know most of them. Yunho, on the other hand, seems to remember everyone’s names, shaking their hands and asking after their parents and children and pet hamsters and every tiny little detail. Siwon’s arranged for a huge party tonight before they get back to work, and Yunho uses the opportunity to acquaint Boa to her new quarters. It’s crazy and hectic, but for the first time in weeks Changmin finds himself truly relaxed and happy, fingers interlocked with Yunho’s the entire time. As the party winds down, he tugs on Yunho’s hand.

“Come on, let’s go to bed,” he says. Yunho smiles, nodding his agreement right away.

The Captain’s room is by far the largest dorm on board, but it’s still smaller than their hospital room. Still, Changmin is more than happy to be back, sighing as he sinks back against the familiar mattress. Yunho crawls over him, pressing a kiss to his nose, which is still tender from his kick earlier. The tentacle had healed almost instantly, but the human side of him is still recovering.

“Sorry,” Yunho murmurs as Changmin winces.

“It’s okay. It had to be done.”

Starlight from distant galaxies streams in from the window, covering them in slow moving spotlights. Changmin lets his eyes drift closed, utterly relaxed as Yunho presses gentle kisses over his face.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he whispers. He leans down, and Changmin meets him in the middle for a kiss. Yunho tastes like the champagne he had been sipping earlier, sweetened by the chocolate he had sneaked when he thought Changmin hadn’t been looking. His mouth is hot and wet, tongue plunging into Changmin’s mouth as it explores. Making a tiny sound of pleasure, Changmin grabs onto Yunho’s ass, pulling the other man closer. The kiss picks up heat, Yunho nipping at his swollen bottom lip.

“I think you said you’d make it up to me,” Changmin says. His voice comes out low and hoarse with desire.

Yunho’s eyes glitter with interest. “I remember saying you can have anything you want.”

“But I already have everything I want,” Changmin smiles shyly. Sometime in the near future, he’s going to regret saying something so cheesy, but right now, it only feels right.

“Well, I guess we’re stuck,” Yunho says. He rolls his hips, grinding down on Changmin until he’s embarrassingly hard. “Any ideas?”

“Before,” Changmin blurts. “In the courtroom…” he bites his lip, bashfulness preventing him from explaining any further.

Yunho raises an eyebrow. “What, when I was beating you up?”

Changmin shoves him playfully. “Idiot. I meant... when you were standing over me. It was… it was nice.”

“Now that I can work with,” Yunho says. He grabs at Changmin’s wrists, pinning them above his head. “Is that what you want, baby? You want me to fuck you any way I want?” he growls, pressing his face right up against Changmin’s. “You want me to order you around like the little slut that you are?”

“Oh fuck,” Changmin gets breathless with lust. It’s tempting, but there’s something else he has in mind. He wrestles free of Yunho’s grip, rolling over until e’s the one pinning the other man down. “I meant I want to order _you_ around.”

Yunho makes a low growl, legs tangling with Changmin’s. “Oh yeah, baby,” he purrs. “Tell me what you want. Tell me what to do.”

“Yes, _Captain_ ,” Changmin shoots back. “Take your clothes off.”

Yunho draws back, standing in front of the bed with a smug grin. Even though he wasn’t the one giving orders, it still felt like he was in control, Changmin thought to himself- especially as the other man is giving him a teasing striptease; shimmying out of his clothes and displaying his body for his lover. Changmin palms himself through his jeans, biting down on his lip to keep himself grounded. Yunho is down to his trousers now, bending over slowly as he pulls them off his ass.

“Fuck, yes,” Changmin groans, as Yunho, at last, stands gloriously naked before him. His cock juts out proudly, and Changmin wraps the tentacles around him to bring him closer.

“What next?” Yunho asks, a little breathless. His cock twitches, and Changmin has to resist the urge to suck him off right there. His nose was still swollen after all, though it’d be a glorious way to go, suffocating on Yunho’s huge cock. “Changmin? What are you thinking about?”

“N-nothing,” Changmin mutters, mortified by his own ridiculous thoughts. “Kneel for me,” he instructs.

Yunho obeys immediately, hands roaming over Changmin’s thighs and squeezing the muscle there. He looks pointedly at Changmin’s crotch.

“Good boy,” Changmin praises. “You want this?” He shivers when Yunho nods eagerly. “You know what to do, then.”

With a purr of excitement, Yunho leans forward. He unclasps the button of his jeans, then licks over the denim. It’s far too delicate for Changmin to feel through the thick material, and he grabs a fistful of Yunho’s hair, pushing him down impatiently until his hands and knees are on the floor. He pulls on Yunho’s hair so he’s forced to look up.  The angle must be uncomfortable, but Yunho’s eyes are glazed over with lust, his tongue darting out for a taste.

“You want this?” Changmin asks again, pushing Yunho’s face right up against his clothed cock. Yunho whines, nodding.

“Changminnie,” he moans. “Please.” His eyes tear up as his neck strains, and Changmin shudders at the cool air raising goosebumps on his heated skin. Yunho manages to catch Changmin’s zipper between his teeth, dragging it down slowly.

“Clever boy,” Changmin whispers, pulling out his cock with his free hand and keeping the tip just out of reach from Yunho’s eagerly watering mouth.

“Please,” Yunho begs again. With firm motions, Changmin thrusts forward, feeding Yunho inch by inch. The other man whines at the thick length filling him up, bobbing his head with practised ease. The angle must be a little strenuous by now, so Changmin releases his hair, allowing Yunho to get more comfortable.

“Oh, god, you’re so eager,” Changmin gasps, as Yunho happily slurps around his cock head. “Fuck!”

Yunho moans around his length, the vibrations going straight to his balls. “I’m gonna come if you don’t slow down,” Changmin warns. But the way Yunho continues to swallow him down suggests that the other man didn’t mind at all. Reluctantly, Changmin pulls away, using the tentacles to lift Yunho onto the bed beside him. The tentacles pull away the rest of his clothing as they kiss heatedly on the mattress. Changmin can taste his own precum on Yunho’s tongue, the bitter taste sweetened by Yunho’s kiss. But his nose is still swollen, and it’s not long before he’s pulling back for breath. Yunho pets him soothingly, murmuring nonsensical words of comfort.

“I’m okay,” Changmin tells him breathlessly. He sighs, feeling his control of the situation slip away. “This isn’t going the way I expected.”

Yunho chuckles a little. “Maybe after you’ve recovered properly,” he suggests. “I think you’re still running on adrenaline.”

“These past few weeks have been exhausting,” Changmin murmurs. “I don’t know how I could have done it without you.”

Yunho snuggles closer as a tentacle wraps possessively around his waist. “And I’d do it again. Just for you.”

Changmin blushes a little, unable to voice his own gratitude. But as always, Yunho understands perfectly. He trails his hands all over Changmin’s heated skin, his touch making Changmin shiver, over-sensitised. In turn, he wraps the tentacles- no, _his_ \- tentacles around Yunho, possessive. Yunho makes a small sound of pleasure as one of them strokes against the soft skin of his inner thigh. He lifts his leg a little, and Changmin sneaks in another tentacle to push between his asscheeks.

“Changmin,” Yunho pants. His eyes close and his head falls back as he’s gently worked open. Changmin moans, leaning forward to bite and suck on the long column of his neck. “Feels so good.”

“I want you to eat me out,” Changmin demands. “I want you to kiss my hole and fuck it when you’re done.”

It’s by far the filthiest thing he’s ever dared to say out loud, but Yunho only moans, his cock giving a large twitch.

“Yes,” he hisses, crawling down the bed. He grabs at Changmin, flips him over and lifting his hips into the air. “ _Yes.”_

Changmin whines as he finds himself face-planting into the mattress. It smells like Yunho everywhere, the musky scent filling his nostrils and driving him wild. “Oh,” Changmin whimpers. He’s drooling a little onto the sheets, but when Yunho licks a stripe of wetness, any thoughts left in his mind dribble out.

He’s leaking everywhere, it seems. His cock, painfully neglected, twitches and slaps back against his belly as Yunho works him open with his tongue. He’s gloriously eager, using his hands to spread him wide open, and impatiently pushing Changmin’s knees further apart.

“Oh God,” Changmin wails, squeezing his eyes shut. He doesn’t know if he can stand it any longer. “Please, Yunho!”

Yunho ignores him. He traces his tongue all around the delicate rim before plunging in, then withdrawing only to suck his balls into his mouth one at a time , lips teasing and teeth grazing and it’s so good, so fucking good Changmin’s about to-

“Yunho!” Changmin almost screams, but all that comes out is a litany of broken curses and incoherent begging. Yunho pulls back, breathing so hard Changmin can feel his chest heaving beneath the tentacle that’s wrapped around it.

“Oh I’m close,” Changmin sobs into the mattress. His hips are still thrusting, desperate.

Yunho grabs at a tentacle, coating his fingers with lube. “Not yet, baby,” he murmurs. He’s slower this time, gently pushing his fingers past the loosened ring of muscle inside him. Changmin whines as lust kicks up another notch and it’s not long before he ruts back, wanting more.

“More,” he demands. “Yunho, more.”

“Greedy,” Yunho grins. He grabs at him, flipping him over and shoving his legs up and ankles hooking around his neck. It’s a little rough, but still not enough. And finally, Yunho coats himself in more lube, lining himself up. With a breathless sob, Changmin quivers, mouth open as Yunho pushes in. There’ll never be another feeling like this in the entire galaxy; just Yunho and his gorgeous thick cock splitting him wide open. Even in their lust-hazed state, Yunho is gentle; he sinks in inch by inch and when he’s buried to the hilt, he stills, waiting for Changmin to adjust.

Mewling quietly, Changmin resumes trying to make the other man feel as good as he does. He sends back a tentacle to work Yunho open, feeling the other man spread his knees for better access. The two thin feelers are busy playing with Yunho’s puffy nipples, and Changmin moans softly as he watches the expressions of pleasure move across his lover’s face. It’s a beautiful image, and Changmin burns it into his memory to keep forever. Yunho catches his gaze, and perhaps his feelings are showing in his eyes, because the older man leans down and kisses him; hungry and wanting more.

“Yunho,” Changmin whispers when they pull apart. “Fuck me.”

Yunho moves.

He tangles his fingers in Changmin’s hair, his forearms resting on either side of his face. Changmin pulls his closer but the nape of his neck, breathing in as Yunho breathes out. It’s intimate and vulnerable, but it’s perfect. Yunho works into him, hips slamming in with hard thrusts. His undulations forces Changmin’s cock to rubs against the sweat-slick skin of his belly, and he spreads his legs so Changmin’s tentacle fucks him senseless. Together they wind higher and higher until nothing exists anymore, it’s just the two of them in this vast galaxy. Changmin kisses him; wet and sloppy and so utterly desperate but Yunho takes it anyway, takes everything Changmin has to offer, and Changmin gives him everything, gives Yunho his all.

With a guttural shout, Yunho comes, crashing into Changmin and filling him with hot seed. Changmin clenches at the burning sensation, hips thrusting up in primal pleasure. Yunho is gasping his name over and over and it’s this, this wondrous love and care that sends Changmin over the edge, a crash of euphoria that Yunho is his, and he is Yunho’s.

“Love you,” Yunho is still murmuring when he starts to come down from his high. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

Changmin keens. He can’t quit form words yet. But his tentacles are wrapped around them both as they speed through the galaxies, the blue-green skin dappled in starlight and cradling them both. Changmin lifts his head and Yunho meets him in the middle for an exhausted but sweet kiss. It’s the most precious thing Changmin’s ever found in the entire universe.

Fin~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) The origins of how Changmin got infected with the parasite to begin with was that the parasite was some kind of tiny rare alien thing that he inhaled. It was so small it got through his suit mask that he wore in the beginning of chapter one. And it wasn't detected by the suit because it was dormant until it found a suitable host. I couldn't really work this tidbit into the fic so here you go in case you wondered :)   
> 2) I like to think Boa eventually discovered a new species and she and Changmin become pioneers in medical treatment using the parasite's healing abilities somehow :D   
> 3) I will never write fic so filthy again OTL  
> 4) That's not true, I probably will... :'D  
> 5) and lastly! THANK YOU FOR READING \o/ This was really a beast to finish so if you've stuck by it til now, thank you again.   
> 6) psst there is an unrelated bonus chapter after this :3


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus: Femslash Homin tentacle porn. Because I can. \o/

  


-

Steam billows out from the bathroom stall as Yunho finishes her shower, hair still damp. A fluffy towel is wrapped around her body, clinging to damp skin and accentuating her curves. Completely oblivious, she’s humming a tune as she ducks her head into the hair-drying pod, which lifts all the moisture from her hair instantly but leaves it a mess. She’s still humming as she sits at the dresser, hairbrush in hand.

“Yunho,” Changmin croaks out.

Yunho looks up. “Mm?”

“I’ll do it,” Changmin blurts. Before Yunho can answer, she strides across the room and starts brushing through Yunho’s hair. And alright, maybe it gives her a really great view of Yunho’s cleavage, but that was just a coincidence, not planned at all. She was just being a good girlfriend, that’s all.

Yunho smiles, but there’s a knowing glint in her eye as she uncaps a jar of oil and warms it between her palms. Their hotel room has a beautiful view of the galaxy, with dappled starlight shining through. Still, it’s nothing compared to Yunho, especially when she slides off the towel and lets it drop to the floor.

Changmin makes a sound that sounds like _hnnnggggggg_ but she doesn’t really notice, not when Yunho is rubbing the oil over her arms and, oh, fuck, her _breasts._

“Oh my God that’s so unfair,” Changmin groans. Her tentacles extend from her back, grabbing at Yunho until she’s lifted into the air and thrown onto the bed, breasts jiggling.

“Changminnie!” Yunho laughs.

“It’s your fault for teasing me,” Changmin growls. Yunho giggles, trying to duck under the covers, but Changmin uses the tentacles to pin her, spread eagled to the mattress.

“I just showered,” Yunho tells her breathlessly, as Changmin retrieves the oil.

“You can shower again,” Changmin mutters. “We’re on holiday anyway.” She kisses a lovebite into Yunho’s neck, hands groping at the swell of her breasts. Yunho arches her back, a breathless sigh of pleasure escaping her lips. She fights her restraints half-heartedly, hips undulating lightly. Changmin rubs in the warm oil, making sure to pay special attention to all of Yunho’s sensitive areas. Her bronzed skin gleams in the low light, her chest heaving as she pants little _ah-ah-ah’s_ and Changmin feels like the luckiest person in the entire galaxy.

“We’re supposed to be- _ah!_ \- sightseeing,” Yunho gasps as Changmin sucks a nipple into her mouth, fingers pinching at the other one.

“I _am_ sight-seeing,” Changmin purrs.

“And the sights are, uh, interactive?” Yunho enquires, her question ending on a gasp when Changmin presses the heel of her palm against her cunt, applying sweet pressure. For a second, Changmin tries to think of a clever response, but gives up when she realises Yunho doesn’t really care. Instead, she scoots down, nipping at the sensitive skin on Yunho’s inner thighs.

“Changminnie,” Yunho moans softly. “More.”

Pleased, Changmin starts off slow, tongue laving through her slit and tasting her wetness. She sucks on her clit, tongue flicking quickly and plunges in a finger, then two. It doesn’t take long; Yunho keens, then shudders as she comes, hips riding Changmin’s fingers as much as they could.

“Your turn,” Yunho slurs.

“How d’you want me?” Changmin still has her fingers buried in her pussy, though she keeps them still, allowing Yunho to set the pace. She lets her tentacles twine over Yunho’s body, and two of them curl around her breasts, squeezing lightly, whilst the tips flickered teasingly at her nipples.

“Everywhere,” Yunho gasps.

Changmin groans at that, shivering with anticipation. She crawls up Yunho’s body, kissing her deeply. She pushes a tentacle into Yunho’s sensitive cunt, thrusting gently. The other woman pants, spreading her legs for better access as Changmin carefully lowers her pussy over Yunho’s waiting mouth. She gasps as Yunho eats her out with great enthusiasm, lips pursed and sucking over her clit. Changmin has to be careful not to rock her hips too much and suffocate the woman under her, so she grabs the headboard and clings on for dear life. It doesn’t help that Yunho starts moaning loudly as the tentacle inside her speeds up, the vibrations of her moans stimulating Changmin even more. She shakes her wrist free of a tentacle, and pushes a couple of fingers into Changmin’s cunt, thrusting firmly. Orgasm builds, and Changmin cries out as she goes over, body shuddering. She lifts herself off with effort, fingers immediately reaching down to play with Yunho’s clit.

“Oh my God!” Yunho arches her back, suddenly overwhelmed. “Oh fuck, I’m coming, I’m coming-!”

Changmin purrs at the sight, leaning down to lave and suck at Yunho’s sensitive clit as she comes with a silent scream, body shaking with spasms. She whines, pushing Changmin away as she recovers from her high.

“Holy shit, that was good,” Yunho mumbles. She blinks in surprise as the tentacles lift her, re-arranging her so she’s on her hands and knees over the other woman. “Changmin?”

“I’m not done,” Changmin grumbles, face going pink.

Yunho chuckles, her hair tickling at Changmin’s collarbone. “We both came.”

“You had _two_ ,” Changmin whines. “I only had one!”

“I’m sorry Changminnie,” Yunho says, her voice going breathless as a tentacle explores between her ass. “How many orgasms should I give you to make up for it?”

Well. _Now_ she was talking.

“As many as it takes,” Changmin demands, triumphant.

“You’re insatiable,” Yunho groans, but she’s already nipping at the sensitive spot between Changmin shoulder and neck that always makes her squirm.

“Worth it,” Changmin mumbles, practically melting into the mattress. Yunho was _gorgeous_. Her body was lean and toned, her darker skin glowing with a healthy tan. Positioned above Changmin like this, her full breasts hung down, and Changmin takes the opportunity to touch them, squeezing and using the pad of her thumbs to circle the nipples. Yunho breathes out a sigh of pleasure as a tentacle works itself into her ass, slippery wet with secretions. Changmin keeps it slow, flicking the tip of her tongue against Yunho’s nipple.

“Keep kissing me,” Yunho demands, her eyes going dark with lust. Changmin complies immediately, grateful that she can use her tentacles for other things as her lips are otherwise occupied. Their kisses grow increasingly more wet and filthy, and Yunho guides a tentacle towards Changmin’s cunt, her fingers brushing delicately over her clit. It’s clear what she wants, and Changmin shudders in anticipation.

They roll across the wide bed, their legs scissored to keep their throbbing pussies close together. Changmin whines a little as the tentacle eases into her, thrusting slowly. She pushes Yunho onto her back, deciding that she preferred this view. Yunho moans, her hips rolling instinctively as the tentacles fucks her.

“Oh, God,” she whines, body shaking. She’s close, and Changmin takes the opportunity to lower her mouth onto Yunho’s swollen labia, tongue flickering incessantly. “Ohhh, Changminnie!”

Changmin moans, lapping up her juices until it’s dribbling down her chin. She curls the tentacle up until it’s pushing against the tight bundle of nerves inside Yunho.

With a wail, Yunho throws her head back as she comes again, body shuddering.

“You’ve had three now,” Changmin tells her pleasantly as Yunho recovers.

“I can’t really return the favour if you keep me like _this_ ,” Yunho shoots back, shaking her tied-up wrists. Changmin smirks and lets the tentacles pin her spread-eagled across the bed. “Changmin!” she laughs. “Baby, you’re not allowed to whine anymore if you keep this up.”

“Fine,” Changmin grumbles, before an idea lights up in her head. She flares out her tentacles. “I’ll keep myself distracted, then.”

She smirks when Yunho’s eyes widen in surprise, triumphant when the other woman moans and gives into the pleasure all over again.

Fin~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okies, I'm really done now. Thanks for reading :)


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